Gondwana

Gondwana was an ancient supercontinent composed of large portions of what are now the southern continents. It included Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Arabia, and smaller landmasses such as Madagascar and New Zealand. The name derives from the Gondwana region in central India, where rock formations were found that match those of the other southern continents.

The concept of Gondwana provided some of the earliest evidence supporting the theory of continental drift and, later, plate tectonics. The correspondence of fossils, rock types, and glacial traces found on continents now far apart demonstrated that they were once connected.

Assembly

Gondwana came together at the end of the Neoproterozoic and beginning of the Paleozoic, as earlier continents collided and formed mountain ranges. For a long period it constituted the southern portion of the landmass. Around the Carboniferous–Permian period, Gondwana joined with Laurussia in the north, creating the large supercontinent Pangaea.

Breakup

When Pangaea broke apart during the Mesozoic, Gondwana separated again as an independent landmass before undergoing gradual fragmentation. Africa and South America drifted apart, opening the South Atlantic Ocean. India moved northward until it collided with Asia, resulting in the formation of the Himalayan mountains. Australia and Antarctica were the last to separate, an event that affected ocean circulation around Antarctica and its cooling.

Evidence

The most well-known evidence includes fossils of the plant Glossopteris, found in Africa, South America, India, Australia, and Antarctica. There are also animal fossils such as Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus, and rock formations indicating glaciation at the same time period. The correspondence of rock types and mountain ranges when continents are fitted back together reinforces these findings.