Pangaea

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Pangaea 200Ma

Alfred Wegener ca.1924-30

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Alfred Wegener - Pangaea

Snider-Pellegrini Wegener fossil map

Appalachian orogeny

Pangaea assembly 1

Pangaea or Pangea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, assembling from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and beginning to break apart about 175 million years ago. The name Pangaea is derived from Ancient Greek words meaning "all the Earth," reflecting the idea that all of the Earth's landmasses were once joined together in a single supercontinent.

Formation

The formation of Pangaea was a result of plate tectonics, a process driven by the movement of the Earth's lithosphere on the more fluid asthenosphere beneath. This movement is caused by the heat from the Earth's interior, which creates convection currents that move the plates in various directions. The supercontinent was formed through the collision and amalgamation of smaller landmasses and continents, including Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.

Geography

During its existence, Pangaea stretched from the North Pole to the South Pole and was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa. The vast landmass influenced the Earth's climate and ocean circulation patterns, leading to a relatively uniform climate across the supercontinent. The interior of Pangaea was likely very dry, with large deserts, while the coasts experienced more temperate and humid conditions.

Biodiversity

Pangaea's vast and varied landscapes were home to a diverse array of life forms. The supercontinent witnessed the rise of the amphibians, the dominance of ferns and gymnosperms in the plant kingdom, and the emergence of the first reptiles, which would go on to dominate the Mesozoic era. The end of the Pangaea period saw the beginning of the diversification of dinosaurs, mammals, and other life forms.

Breakup

The breakup of Pangaea was also a result of plate tectonics. The supercontinent began to fragment into the continents we recognize today, a process that led to significant geological and climatic changes. The breakup influenced the distribution of organisms and the evolutionary paths of life on Earth. As the continents drifted apart, they moved into different climatic zones, which led to diversification and speciation.

Legacy

The concept of Pangaea is central to the theory of continental drift, first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. Although Wegener's ideas were initially met with skepticism, the discovery of the mechanism of plate tectonics provided a plausible explanation for the movement of continents and the existence of Pangaea. Today, the study of Pangaea and its breakup helps scientists understand past climate changes, the distribution of fossils, and the geological history of the Earth.