Pangea was not the first supercontinent in Earth’s history, and it will not be the last. Over billions of years, the movement of tectonic plates has repeatedly brought continents together and pulled them apart again. These vast landmasses, known as supercontinents, formed and broke up long before Pangea existed, shaping the planet’s climate, life, and geology.

Studying earlier supercontinents helps scientists understand how Earth’s surface changes over time and why continents are arranged the way they are today.

Vaalbara (The Earliest Known Supercontinent)

Vaalbara is thought to be one of the earliest supercontinents, forming over 3 billion years ago. Evidence for Vaalbara comes from ancient rock formations found in parts of Africa and Australia. At this early stage in Earth’s history, the planet was much hotter, and life was limited to simple organisms.

Kenorland

Kenorland formed around 2.7 billion years ago and included large areas of what are now North America, Greenland, Australia, and parts of Africa. Its breakup is linked to major changes in Earth’s atmosphere, including a rise in oxygen levels. This period helped pave the way for more complex life to develop.

Nuna (also known as Columbia)

Nuna formed approximately 1.8 billion years ago. It brought together many of the planet’s continental cores and remained stable for hundreds of millions of years. During this time, Earth experienced relatively calm tectonic activity compared to later periods.

Rodinia

Rodinia existed around 1.1 billion years ago and is one of the best-studied ancient supercontinents. Its breakup is thought to have triggered dramatic climate changes, possibly including global ice ages. Rodinia’s fragmentation helped set the stage for the formation of later supercontinents.

Pannotia

Pannotia formed briefly around 600 million years ago. It existed for a relatively short time before breaking apart, leading to rapid continental movement and environmental change. This period coincided with a significant increase in the diversity of life on Earth.

Gondwana

After the breakup of Pannotia, Gondwana formed and included Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, and India. Gondwana later became part of Pangea. Evidence of Gondwana’s existence can be seen today in matching fossils, rock layers, and mountain ranges found on continents now separated by oceans.