Gondwana

American  

[gond-wah-nuh] / gɒndˈwɑ nə /

noun

1. a hypothetical landmass in the Southern Hemisphere that separated toward the end of the Paleozoic Era, the remnants of which make up what are now South America, Africa, Arabia, the Indian subcontinent, Australia, and Antarctica.

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Etymology

Origin of Gondwana

First recorded in 1870–75; from Sanskrit goṇḍa, the name of a Dravidian people and region in north central India + vana “forest”

Example Sentences

Scientists believe the structure developed through multiple tectonic episodes associated with the formation and evolution of the ancient Gondwana supercontinent.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

Koharalepis belonged to the Canowindrid family, a group of fish that once lived across East Gondwana, with fossils now found in both Antarctica and Australia.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

"The Western Ghats are about 150 million years old, older than the Himalayas. The species that exist there could have evolutionary roots in the Gondwana supercontinent," Koparde says.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

The Western Ghats were formed when Gondwana - a supercontinent that combined present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia, and Antarctica - split up during the Jurassic Period.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

“The continents we know today were once merged. Gondwana eventually broke apart to form the continents in the Southern Hemisphere: Antarctica, Australia, South America, and Africa.”

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott