Gondwanaland

[ gond-wah-nuh-land ]

noun

1. Gondwana ( ).

Gondwanaland

/ ɡɒndˈwɑːnəˌlænd /

noun

1. one of the two ancient supercontinents produced by the first split of the even larger supercontinent Pangaea about 200 million years ago, comprising chiefly what are now Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and the Indian subcontinent

Gondwanaland

/ gŏnd-wä′nə-lănd′ /

1. A supercontinent of the Southern Hemisphere made up of the landmasses that currently correspond to India, Australia, Antarctica, and South America. According to the theory of plate tectonics, Gondwanaland separated from Pangaea at the end of the Paleozoic Era and broke up into the current continents in the middle of the Mesozoic Era.
2. Compare Laurasia

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gondwanaland¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; from German Gondwána-Land, equivalent to Gondwana ( def ) + Land land ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gondwanaland¹

C19: from Gondwana region in central north India, where the rock series was originally found

Example Sentences

During the trilobites' lifetime, this region was on the outer margins of Gondwanaland, an ancient supercontinent that included Africa, India, Australia, South America, and Antarctica.

From Science Daily

Thanks to the beetle, the researchers now believe that Myanmar was part of Gondwanaland, a massive continent that was formed after Pangea broke up.

From Fox News

Much of that fossil richness reflects India's long, solitary march after it broke loose from the supercontinent Gondwanaland, starting some 150 million years ago.

From Science Magazine

Together with invertebrate fossil evidence, the ichthyosaur find suggests that a massive seaway once crossed the ancient continent of Gondwanaland, cutting through land that is now split across western India, Madagascar, and South America.

From National Geographic

At the opposite extreme, the largest Polynesian island, New Zealand, is an old, geologically diverse, continental fragment of Gondwanaland, offering a range of mineral resources, including commercially exploitable iron, coal, gold, and jade.

From Literature