The Unique Australian Environment

By Zac Healy

Were all the countries joined together?

All countries were in fact joined together to form a supercontinent, also known as Pangaea which was formed approximately 250 million years ago.

Gondwana

Gondwana was made up of what other counties?

Gondwana was made up of today's current countries such as Africa, South America,India, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand, Arabia, New Guinea and Antarctica

Pangaea, Laurasia & Gondwana Pangaea is a

supercontinent which was all continents formed together.

Pangaea had split (obviously) in half forming to halves also known as Laurasia and Gondwana.

Map of Gondwana and Laurasia

How long would it have taken for the continents to come as far apart as they are now?

It has taken 225 million years ago for the continents to come as far apart to where they are now.

The picture below is an example over this time

What caused continents/Gondwana to split into different parts?

Tectonic plates had caused the continents/Gondwana to split into different parts which is large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere.

The movement of the continents had taken millions of years to happen

Will the continents stop drifting? The continents will not stop drifting

because of the tectonic plates large scale motion which shifts from 0-10cm a years approximately.

What sort of animals do we have that may have originated in other continents?

We would have many animals that would have originated on other countries such as foxes, rabbits, carp and cane toads which have all originated from other continents.

Were there dinosaurs on Gondwanaland and what type of Australian animals were on Gondwanaland? There was many types of

dinosaurs in Gondwanaland such as Woolungasaurus, Kronosaurus, Platypterygius and Minmi which are all Australian dinosaurs.

Australian animals that were on Gondwanaland were animals such as the crocodiles, turtles and other small reptiles which has been living to this present day

Do you think the break up of Pangaea during the Jurassic period led to the extinction of some dinosaurs and the evolution of other dinosaurs?

The Pangaea could have possibly led to the extinction and the evolution of dinosaurs having change in the land and climate causing the dinosaurs to seek different habitats and food.

Did the plants and animals of Gondwana have to change in any way to survive?

In the Triassic period, all the continents were joined together in one huge landmass. Climate was hot and dry but with rain seasons. The first tree ferns and coniferous trees were starting to appear which have lived on and have adapted to the climate.

In the Jurassic period the climate changed as the huge continent broke up. There were now forests of cycads, conifers and gingko, which still exist.

What characteristics do you think enable a plant or animal to survive the break up of a continent?

The dinosaurs had adapted to the new environments around them behaviourally, physically and physiologically to survive the new land.

How did the humans manage to spread on different continents? How did humans develop?

Humans had managed to spread on the different continents by travelling and breeding.

Humans had developed over time from monkey and gorillas into men and women.

The picture below is a great example.

The End