How did the supercontinent Gondwana break up?

Gondwana began its fragmentation during the Early Jurassic around 180 million years ago after separating from northern Pangea. The breakup occurred in stages across millions of years, culminating in the Paleogene with the separation of Antarctica from South America and Australia. This massive tectonic event shaped modern southern hemisphere landmasses and influenced global flora and fauna distribution.

What we know

• Gondwana started to fragment during the Early Jurassic, approximately 180 million years ago. [2]
• The final stages of the breakup involved the separation of Antarctica from South America and Australia, forming the Drake and Tasmanian Passages. [2]
• The final separation stages occurred during the Paleogene, from around 66 to 23 million years ago. [2]
• The Kerguelen Plateau was produced by a hotspot starting with or following the breakup of Gondwana about 130 million years ago. [3]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat was Pangaea?
• how it workedHow did the Kerguelen Plateau form?
• a case in pointWhat landmasses made up Gondwana?
• what followedHow did ratite birds evolve?
• compared withWhen did Laurasia separate from Pangaea?
• an unexpected connectionWhy do kiwi birds share ancestry with extinct elephant birds?DNA evidence from elephant birds suggests ratites evolved flightlessness through recent dispersion rather than ancient Gondwana vicariance.

Sources

• [1]Gondwana (Wikidata Q80583) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Gondwana · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Kerguelen Plateau · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Elephant bird · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Arowana · CC BY-SA 4.0