The Seychelles are the only ocean island chain made of granite, a rock usually reserved for continents. This is because they were originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland. When this split into South America, India and Africa, primordial Africa and India began floating towards their current positions through what is now the Indian Ocean. First Madagascar split off of India close to Africa, then the Seychelles, almost in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This origin is also why these islands posses many species of plants and animals which could not have travelled there by sea, such as the pitcher plant and the coco-de-mer.