Pangaea was huge land mass or supercontinent that began to break apart 180 million years ago (see
plate tectonics/
continental drift). Pangaea means "all lands" in
Greek.
There is much
evidence proving that Pangea did exist:
-
The shape of the continents (including continental shelves). Their shapes gives evidence that they can be fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
-
Evidence of continuous belts of mountain chains that are separated by oceans. An example is the Appalachian Mountains which are found in North America as well as the British Isle and Scandanavia (now separated by the Atlantic Ocean).
- Biological evidence. Fossils and plant communities are found in similiar patterns. Since it is highly unlikely that organisms traveled such far distances to be found in such patterns, the only reasonable explanation is that the land was once connected.