{
  "id": 7103786,
  "title": "Gondwana Really Was a Supercontinent",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/gondwana-really-was-a-supercontinent",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-13T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nautilus",
    "slug": "nautilus",
    "url": "https://nautil.us/gondwana-really-was-a-supercontinent-1284991/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Approximately 550 million years ago, the planet's geography was vastly different from today. A colossal continent, known as Gondwana, ruled the Southern Hemisphere. Its existence was first noticed by Austrian geologist Eduard Seuss in 1885, after fossils resembling only that region were discovered in India, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, and South America. However, the question of whether Gondwana truly constituted a \"supercontinent\" remained a contentious issue among scientists.\n\nA recent study, co-authored by the author and published in Science Advances, attempts to resolve this debate. The research team discovered a previously unseen portion of the Gondwanan landmass, now concealed beneath mountain ranges, indicating a significantly larger size than previously estimated. The concept of supercontinents, or supercontinental cycles, became prominent in the mid-1980s when geologists identified recurring, global-scale sea level fluctuations in the geological record dating back at least 2 billion years. Since then, four supercontinents have been identified, with Gondwana being the second youngest at 550-500 million years old.\n\nGondwana's supercontinent status has been challenged in recent years due to varying measurements of its continental landmass. Initially, Gondwana was assessed at 64% of continental landmass, based on five core continental fragments: India, South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. However, subsequent assessments included additional landmasses extending from the Appalachian mountains in the United States to southern Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, and beyond. Despite these additions, Gondwana's status as a supercontinent was not altered. The serendipitous discovery of Gondwana's hidden fragments by the research team was the result of compiling a global dataset of granite samples to study deep crustal processes and their relation to mineral formation. This discovery expanded Gondwana's continental landmass to roughly 80%, confirming its status as a supercontinent.\n\nThe significance of Gondwana being a supercontinent lies in its impact on global dynamics, including climate and biological evolution. Supercontinent formations, such as Gondwana, can influence global climate and biological change, as witnessed during the Cambrian explosion between 550 and 500 million years ago. The formation of Gondwana led to the creation of a volcanic arc chain that encircled the supercontinent, extending from Russia to the Andes of South America, similar in length to today's Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean. This ancient volcanic arc released vast amounts of volcanic gases, particularly water vapor and carbon dioxide, which played a crucial role in altering Earth's climate from an icehouse to a greenhouse state. This climatic shift, in turn, facilitated the proliferation of life on Earth for the first time.",
  "summary": "And it helped kick‑start life on Earth The post Gondwana Really Was a Supercontinent appeared first on Nautilus .",
  "key_points": [
    "Gondwana existed 550 million years ago as a colossal continent in the Southern Hemisphere.",
    "Austrian geologist Eduard Seuss first identified Gondwana in 1885 based on fossil discoveries.",
    "Recent study confirms Gondwana's supercontinent status with 80% continental landmass."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}