Articles tagged with Pangaea
A new study finds that volcanic eruptions triggered a sudden and devastating cooling event, causing mass extinctions in the Triassic period. The research contradicts previous theories that suggested increased carbon dioxide led to warming temperatures.
A new study using computational models suggests that a subduction zone below the Gibraltar Strait will migrate into the Atlantic, contributing to an Atlantic ring of fire. This process, called subduction invasion, is expected to happen in approximately 20 million years.
A joint research team demonstrates that tectonics, not large climatic fluctuations, caused the emergence of the modern global monsoon from Pangea's megamonsoon. Continental area and fragmentation drive land-monsoon area and intensity respectively.
Researchers from Macquarie University have found that the Earth's gradual cooling led to a flip in the deep cycling of carbon and chlorine between the surface and interior. Most carbon accumulates into solid carbonate sediments, while chlorine typically returns to the surface as volcanic gases.
A team of researchers has identified the importance of rifted margins in the transition to a green economy. These continental margins harbor vast accumulations of rocks and hydrocarbon reserves, making them a potential location for new resources needed for a carbon-neutral economy. The study provides an overview of the processes that s...
New research from Florida State University reveals a significant decline in molybdenum across the planet's oceans approximately 183 million years ago, preceding a mass extinction event that wiped out up to 90% of marine species. The study suggests a much larger organic carbon burial than previously estimated.
A team of paleontologists led by Virginia Tech has discovered a new, early dinosaur in Zimbabwe, which is the oldest dinosaur skeleton found in Africa. The newly named Mbiresaurus raathi was estimated to be around 6 feet long and weighed between 20-65 pounds.
A massive volcanic eruption at the end of the Triassic period caused a global cooling effect, leading to the mass extinction. The event paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs as their natural predators went extinct.
Researchers used extensive 2D and 3D broadband seismic reflection data to visualize and understand the subsurface structures of the Orphan Basin. The study provides context for future assessments of source rock, reservoir, and seal strata in oil and gas exploration.
A fossil trove from Southern Gondwana has shed light on the ecology of ancient Australia and New Zealand, preserving the oldest known animals and plants. The findings include rare 'frozen behaviour' of long-legged flies, oldest known fossil ants, and first Australian fossils of a tiny insect species.
Researchers found a significant increase in oxygen levels in ancient rocks, possibly setting the stage for dinosaur expansion into tropical regions. The discovery provides insight into the evolutionary diversification of dinosaurs during a critical period.
Researchers have used genomic data to gain the most detailed information yet of cockroach evolution. The study suggests that extant families evolved during the breakup of Pangaea and prior to continental separation within Gondwana, with divergence times dating back up to 180 million years.
The breakup of supercontinent Pangea led to a significant decrease in oceanic crust thickness, with the oldest crust being about one mile thicker than modern-day crust. This is attributed to the cooling of the Earth's interior and the exposure of deeper mantle to the atmosphere and oceans.
A new species of lizard, Gueragama sulamericana, has been found in Southern Brazil, pushing back the known origin of acrodontan lizards to 80 million years ago. This discovery sheds light on the migration patterns of ancient species and challenges existing hypotheses on lizard evolution.
A team of French scientists has proposed a model explaining the sudden drop in atmospheric CO2 levels 300 million years ago, when a massive mountain range formed in Pangea. The formation of these mountains led to physical erosion and rock weathering, removing CO2 from the atmosphere and preventing severe greenhouse effects.
Researchers have discovered a magnetic anomaly deep within the Earth's crust that suggests a significant portion of what is now Africa was left behind in the American southeast when Pangea broke up. This finding challenges existing theories on continental rifting and the break-up of supercontinents.
A 250 million-year-old study suggests that Pangea integration led to environmental deterioration, causing the biggest mass extinction. The integration resulted in global-scale volcanic eruptions, greenhouse gas emissions, and changes in ocean chemistry, ultimately devastating land and marine ecosystems.
A new study reveals that a Pangean desert supported a unique fauna, including the giant pareiasaur Bunostegos, which sported large, bulbous skulls resembling modern giraffe horns. The discovery supports the theory of central Pangea being climatically isolated, allowing this relict fauna to evolve distinct anatomical features.
Fossil records from Tanzania and Zambia reveal a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs, contradicting previous assumptions about their predecessors' fate. The discovery provides new insights into the recovery of animal communities after the mass extinction.
Researchers uncover fossils of a previously unknown species, Nyasasaurus parringtoni, that is believed to be the earliest dinosaur or closest relative yet. The discovery pushes back the origins of dinosaur lineage by 10-15 million years and reveals characteristics common to early dinosaurs.
Research in southeastern Mongolia reveals evidence of ocean basin collapse, while placer mining in British Columbia affects river geometry. New fossil discoveries in Algeria shed light on early mammal evolution.
A new study uses molecular clock methods to reconstruct the cypress family tree, revealing that their evolution reflects the break-up of Pangea. The research confirms that cypresses are a very old plant family with origins tracing back to 153 million years ago.
A team of scientists found that reptiles and mammals lived in separate areas due to differences in water availability, with reptiles thriving in drier temperate zones and mammals in water-rich tropical regions. This study helps predict the impact of climate change on mammal species distribution.
The discovery of Tawa hallae, a 213-million-year-old carnivorous dinosaur from New Mexico, reveals that early dinosaurs originated in South America and dispersed across Pangea before splitting into separate continents. Fossil analysis suggests that climate, possibly related to latitude, controlled the distribution of some reptile species.
Scientists believe ancient fungi thrived in dead wood after forests were devastated, providing conditions for Reduviasporonites to proliferate across the planet. Fossil records show a massive spike in fungal population as the Permian period ended, suggesting a global catastrophe led to widespread forest loss.
Researchers challenge the prevailing view that the Colorado Plateau shifted north during the Jurassic Period, citing evidence from ancient dunes and climate modeling. The findings indicate the area remained at the equator, sparking a new conundrum in the scientific community.
Scientists reveal that the closure of the Rheic Ocean created the supercontinent of Pangaea and the Appalachian Mountains, marking a significant event in Earth's history. The discovery provides new insights into the formation of these geological features and their impact on climate change.
A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill geologist proposes the existence of a new supercontinent, Columbia, which existed over 1.5 billion years ago. The supercontinent is thought to have formed when most of the world's continents collided into a single land area.
Researchers at U-M and Norway have found a way to reconcile paleomagnetic data with the classical Pangea A model. The key lies in assumptions about Earth's magnetic field, which revealed long-term non-dipole fields that produce a near-perfect continental fit.