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List of paleocontinents

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Animation of the break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea and the subsequent drift of its constituents, from the Early Triassic to recent (250 Ma to 0).
Animation of the break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea and the subsequent drift of its constituents, from the Early Triassic to recent (250 Ma to 0).

This is a list of paleocontinents, significant landmasses that have been proposed to exist in the geological past. The degree of certainty to which the identified landmasses can be regarded as independent entities reduces as geologists look further back in time. The list includes cratons, supercratons, microcontinents, continents and supercontinents. For the Archean to Paleoproterozoic cores of most of the continents see also list of shields and cratons.

List of paleocontinents

Name Age (Ma) Period/Era Range Type Comments Sources
Amazonia Craton
Arabia–Nubia 610 Neoproterozoic Microcontinent Rifted off Rodinia at about 840 Ma. Then accreted to North Africa with large volume of juvenile crust during the Pan-African orogeny to form the Arabian-Nubian Shield.
Arctica 2565 Neoarchean Supercraton
Argoland 155 an archipelago of microcontinents Rifted off Australia 155 Ma ago after splitting into microcontinents about 215Ma ago
Atlantica 1500 Mesoproterozoic Continent Formed from a series of cratons during the development of Columbia - independent from about 1500 Ma, following break-up of Columbia - part of Rodinia from 1000 Ma
Avalonia Cambrian Continent Rifted off northern Gondwana in the Cambrian, eventually colliding with Laurentia and Baltica in the Caledonian Orogeny to form Laurussia.
Baltica 2000 Paleoproterozoic Continent Formed from three cratonic fragments - the Baltic Shield, Sarmatia and Volgo–Uralia. Formed part of Columbia, then Rodinia and Pannotia. Collided with Laurentia and Avalonia to form Laurussia.
Cathaysia 1800 Continent Fused with the Yangtze block to form the South China Craton during the Early Paleozoic.
Cimmeria 300 Late Carboniferous–Early Permian Continent Rifted off margin of Gondwana, opening up Neotethys, collided with Laurasia about 150 Ma in the Cimmerian Orogeny. Regarded as being made up of many separate continental fragments.
Columbia (Nuna) 2100 Paleoproterozoic Supercontinent Oldest widely accepted supercontinent. also known as Nuna.
East Antarctica Craton
East European Craton The cratonic core of Baltica or a synonym for the paleocontinent
Gondwana 500 Late Neoproterozoic Continent Also described as a supercontinent
India Continent
Kalahari Craton
Kazakhstania Continent
Kenorland 2720 Neoarchean Supercontinent Alternatively, landmasses may have grouped into two supercratons, Sclavia and Superia
Laurasia Carboniferous-Permian Continent Formed by the break-up of Pangaea after Kazakhstania and Siberia had joined with the former Laurussia
Laurentia 1830 Paleoarchean Continent
Laurussia 425 Early Devonian Continent The "Old Red Continent" formed by the Caledonian Orogeny, joined with Gondwana to form Pangaea
Mawson 1730 Paleoproterozoic Continent
Nena 1900 Paleoproterozoic Continent
North Australia 2000 Paleoproterozoic Craton
North China 2500 Paleoproterozoic Craton
Pangaea 350 Late Permian Supercontinent
Pannotia 600 Neoproterozoic Supercontinent
Rodinia 1000 Mesoproterozoic Supercontinent
São Francisco–Congo 1800 Proterozoic Craton
Sclavia Paleoarchean Supercraton
Siberia 2800 Neoarchean Continent
Sahul Paleoproterozoic paleocontinent mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and Aru Islands.
South Australia Craton
South China Neoproterozoic Craton
Superia 2680 Neoarchean Supercraton
Tarim Early Mesoproterozoic Craton
Ur 3100 Mesoarchean Continent
Vaalbara 3300 Late Neoarchean–Early Paleoproterozoic Continent
West Africa Paleoproterozoic Craton
West Australia 2000 Paleoprotereozoic Craton
Yangtze 1800 Late Neoarchean–Early Paleoproterozoic Craton Fused with the Cathaysia block to form the South China Craton during the Early Paleozoic.

References

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