Pangea

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Definition

Proper noun 1. A supercontinent: In geology and plate tectonics, Pangea (also spelled Pangaea) refers to the single, vast supercontinent that is hypothesized to have existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, before it began to break apart approximately 200 million years ago.

Usage
  • As a proper noun: The word is always capitalized and typically used without an article when referring to the specific historical landmass.
    • Scientists believe that Pangea began to rift apart in the Triassic period.
    • The concept of Pangea helps explain the distribution of similar fossils on different continents.
Advanced Usage
  • "The breakup of Pangea": A standard phrase describing the geological process of continental drift that led to the formation of the modern continents.
    • The breakup of Pangea had a profound impact on global climate and evolution.
Variants and Related Words
  • Pangaea: An alternative, equally common spelling of the word.
  • Supercontinent (n): A general term for a large landmass comprising more than one continental core. Pangea is the most recent supercontinent in Earth's history.
  • Laurasia (n): The northern continental mass that formed after Pangea split.
  • Gondwanaland / Gondwana (n): The southern continental mass that formed after Pangea split.
Synonyms
  • Supercontinent: The closest general synonym, though it is a category that includes other landmasses like Rodinia.
Related Concepts (Not Synonyms)
  • Continental drift: The theory explaining the movement of continents, central to the concept of Pangea.
  • Plate tectonics: The broader scientific theory within which the existence and breakup of Pangea is understood.
Noun
  1. (plate tectonics) a hypothetical continent including all the landmass of the earth prior to the Triassic period when it split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland

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