Gondwanaland

American  

[gond-wah-nuh-land] / gɒndˈwɑ nəˌlænd /

noun

1. Gondwana.

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Gondwanaland British  

/ 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

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Gondwanaland Scientific  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of Gondwanaland

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

Example Sentences

"Because continents shift over time, part of our job has been to work out where this region of Thailand was in relation to the rest of Gondwanaland," Hughes said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

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 • Apr. 4, 2018

When New Zealand split away from the supercontinent Gondwanaland 85 million years ago, predatory mammals hadn’t evolved.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2017

This forest flourished on Gondwanaland, the great prehistoric continent before Australia, Antarctica, South America and India drifted apart 60 million years ago.

From The Guardian • Jun. 11, 2013

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 "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond