230 mya

About 230 million years ago, plate movements brought all the previously separated landmasses
together into a supercontinent that was called Pangaea, meaning “all land”. During this time,
Pangaea was surrounded by a vast global ocean called Panthalassa. It is during this time that
the Earth is recovering from the Permian-Triassic extinction, small dinosaurs begin to appear,
and therapsids and archosaurs emerge, along with the first flying vertebrates.
140 mya

About 140 million years ago, Pangaea was separated into two parts and joined in three large
landmasses. Laurasia was the northern supercontinent, containing North America and Eurasia
which are on one landmass. Gondwanaland was the southern supercontinent, containing South
America, and Africa which forms the second landmass. While Antarctica, Australia, and India
make the third. An ocean named Tethys existed between the continents of Laurasia and
Gondwanaland. During this time, the earliest lizards have appeared and primitive placental
mammals have evolved. Dinosaurs dominate both landmasses. Large marine reptiles inhabited
the ocean, and pterosaurs were the dominant flying vertebrates.