In the beginning there was Pangea. A supercontinent of immense proportions. It formed roughly around 300 million years ago and began to break apart, into what we know now as the seven continents, 100 million years ago.
This theory that all the continents were once connected is one that is commonly accepted by the scientific community.
Well that begs the question why did it break apart?
The answer lies in plate tectonic. Under the crust of the earth are gigantic land masses called plates. These plates move every year in such small increments to be unnoticeable. But it was not just a big split up. This super continent fell apart in pieces.
The first rift resulted in the pacific ocean.
The second rift resulted in Asia.
And the final rift resulted in Africa.
When looking at a map now one can tell that the continents used to be together. But even in this day the tectonic plates still move so a super continent will once again form but it will be the exact opposite of what it used to be.
This is very interesting. I wonder if the continents did stay together would it have affected the evolution of genetics.”
Did you know that with the plate tectonics we (the United States) move closer to Russia every day? The Pacific Ocean is shrinking everyday and we can expect the way the land looks on the coast of Alaska and California to change. Eventually Alaska will collide with Russia, but not in our lifetime.
This very interesting short video tells you all about it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1zGau3yNtk