Tag

Gondwana

All articles tagged with #gondwana

science7 days ago•13 min saved

Buried fan-shaped basin beneath East Antarctica hints at Gondwana breakup scars

Scientists mapped a giant, fan-shaped set of basins beneath East Antarctica using sub-ice topography, gravity, magnetic and seismic data, suggesting a cohesive tectonic province formed by distributed rotational extension before Gondwana split. The proposed East Antarctic Fan-Shaped Basin Province may represent a continent-scale scar that helped guide the Antarctica–Australia separation and influence ice-flow patterns, though the timing and full implications remain uncertain and require further testing.

via Space Daily|

#east-antarctica #gondwana #ice-sheet-dynamics

science1 month ago•112 min saved

Giant fan-shaped subglacial basin under East Antarctica rewrites tectonic history

Researchers have identified a giant, fan-shaped subglacial basin province beneath East Antarctica, formed by distributed rotational extension that connects major basins such as Wilkes, Aurora, and the Lake Vostok region; this may reflect Gondwana breakup and indicates East Antarctica has a more dynamic tectonic history than previously thought, with possible implications for how the ice sheet responds to climate change.

via Live Science|

#east-antarctica #gondwana #nature-geoscience

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Antarctica’s Hidden Fan Reveals Ancient Subglacial Blueprint

Scientists mapped about 30 connected basins beneath East Antarctica, forming a fan-shaped province (EAFBP) that radiates from a central South Pole area. The radially arranged basins point to rotational extension that predates Gondwana’s breakup and may have guided ice movement and landscape evolution, reshaping our understanding of Antarctica’s bedrock and its history.

via ScienceAlert|

#east-antarctica #gondwana #ice-flow

science2 months ago•47 min saved

Discovery of 20-meter Brazilian sauropod hints at an ancient Europe-to-South America highway

A new long-necked sauropod, Dasosaurus tocantinensis, from Maranhão, Brazil, dating to about 120 million years ago, was found eight meters underground at a construction site; at roughly 20 meters long, it is the largest known Brazilian dinosaur from the region and is closest to a Spanish species, Garumbatitan morellensis, implying a European lineage that dispersed to South America via Africa around 140–120 million years ago and suggesting earlier intercontinental faunal exchange; the discovery expands northeastern Brazil’s dinosaur record and highlights construction sites as windows into ancient ecosystems, though dating uncertainties remain and researchers plan further excavations with the site owner.

via Yahoo|

#dasosaurus-tocantinensis #europe-to-south-america-dispersal #gondwana

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Morocco Titanosaur Hints at Ancient Dinosaur Highways Across Seas

A newly identified Moroccan titanosaur, Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis, dating to about 70 million years ago, bears surprising similarities to South American Lognkosauria, implying ancient intercontinental links or dispersal routes and highlighting a previously overlooked, endemic North African dinosaur fauna shaped by island-like sea barriers.

via Indian Defence Review|

#dinosaurs #gondwana #morocco

science-paleontology3 months ago•9 min saved

Twisted-Jaw Tetrapod from Gondwana Illuminates Early Plant-Eating Life

Researchers describe Tanyka amnicola, a 275-million-year-old stem tetrapod known from seven to nine jawbones found in Brazil’s Pedra de Fogo Formation. The jaws are twisted with outward-facing teeth and a denticle-covered inner surface, indicating a grinding mechanism for plant matter and suggesting early herbivory among stem tetrapods. The discovery places this “living fossil” in Gondwana’s Permian ecosystems and helps fill gaps in the fossil record, though the full skeleton remains unknown and may have measured up to about 0.9 meters in length.

via SciTechDaily|

#gondwana #jaw-morphology #paleontology

science5 months ago•20 min saved

Antarctica's Hidden 34-Million-Year Landscape Revealed by Satellite

Canada’s RADARSAT satellite surfaced a buried, 34-million-year-old landscape under East Antarctica’s ice, including an ancient riverbed and forested terrain preserved before glaciation, offering new clues on Earth’s past climates and how ice sheets may respond to warming and sea‑level rise.

via Diario AS|

#antarctica #climate-change #geology

science6 months ago•3 min saved

Revolutionary Fossil Challenges Evolutionary History

The discovery of the fossil Telmatomyia talbragarica in Australia challenges previous beliefs that certain freshwater midges originated in Laurasia, suggesting instead a Gondwanan origin and providing new insights into insect evolution and the breakup of Gondwana.

via Indian Defence Review|

#biogeography #evolution #fossil

paleontology8 months ago•35 min saved

New Filter-Feeding Pterosaur Discovered in Santana Group

A new filter-feeding pterosaur species, Bakiribu waridza, has been discovered in the Santana Group of Northeast Brazil, representing the first archaeopterodactyloid from this formation and providing insights into the evolution and paleobiogeography of ctenochasmatids in Gondwana. The specimen, preserved as a regurgitalite, exhibits unique dental features, including dense, elongated, and subquadrangular teeth, and suggests a complex trophic interaction involving likely predation by spinosaurid dinosaurs.

via Nature|

#cretaceous #filter-feeding #gondwana

science9 months ago•2 min saved

Ecuador Amber Unveils 112-Million-Year-Old Insect Fossils

Scientists discovered 112-million-year-old amber in Ecuador containing well-preserved insects and plant fossils, offering new insights into the prehistoric ecosystems of Gondwana and filling a significant gap in Southern Hemisphere paleontology.

via ScienceDaily|

#amber #ecuador #fossil-insects

science9 months ago•4 min saved

112-Million-Year-Old Insects Unveiled in Ecuadorian Amber

Scientists discovered 112-million-year-old insects and plant material preserved in amber from Ecuador, providing valuable insights into Gondwana's Cretaceous ecosystem and the biodiversity of the southern Hemisphere during that period.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amber #cretaceous #ecuador

science1 year ago•5 min saved

Ancient Dinosaur Footprints Across the Atlantic Confirm Connection

Fossilized dinosaur footprints found in Cameroon and Brazil, dating to about 120 million years ago, reveal a once-connected land corridor across the Atlantic, providing new insights into dinosaur migration and the breakup of Gondwana.

via Earth.com|

#brazil #cameroon #continental-drift

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Discovery of Earth's Hidden Eighth Continent

Geologists have completed mapping Zealandia, a submerged landmass considered Earth's eighth continent, covering nearly two million square miles. The research involved analyzing rock samples from North Zealandia, revealing its geological history tied to the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Despite being mostly underwater, Zealandia's mapping highlights its significance as a geological entity.

via Yahoo! Voices|

#continents #geology #gondwana

science2 years ago•3 min saved

Tectonic Plate Shifts Linked to Ancient Mass Die-Off

New research suggests that a major extinction event 513 million years ago, known as the Sinsk event, was triggered by tectonic activity around the supercontinent Gondwana, causing the drowning of ancient reefs and altering the oceans. The study, led by sedimentologist Paul Myrow, found links between rock layers in Antarctica and Australia, indicating similar geological dynamics at the time of the extinction. The uplift of mountains and the release of greenhouse gases from large igneous provinces led to a decrease in ocean circulation, resulting in the death of many organisms. This sheds light on the role of tectonics in driving mass die-offs and provides insights into potential parallels with modern climate change.

via Livescience.com|

#gondwana #mass-extinction #science

science2 years ago•3 min saved

Ancient Trilobites Unravel Geographic Mystery

Ten newly discovered species of trilobites, ancient arthropods that lived nearly 490 million years ago, may hold the key to understanding Thailand's position on the former supercontinent Gondwana. The trilobite fossils, found in tuffs containing zircon crystals, can be used to determine the age of the fossils and the eruption that formed the tuffs. This discovery not only helps date the fossils in Thailand but also provides insights into other parts of the world, such as China and Australia, where similar fossils have been found. The findings contribute to unraveling the complex puzzle of ancient geography and offer valuable information for understanding our planet's history.

via arkeonews|

#ancient-geography #fossils #gondwana