Global Change

Bio 510

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed around 220 million years ago, comprising all landmasses in a vast ocean called Panthalassa.

Tethys Sea

A large sea that split Pangaea into Gondwanaland and Laurasia, existing around 200 million years ago.

Gondwanaland

A landmass that included present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and India before it began to drift.

Laurasia

A northern landmass formed from the splitting of Pangaea that included parts of North America and Eurasia.

Epicontinental sea

Shallow seas that once covered parts of continents, influencing climate and marine life.

Rain shadow effect

A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain where moist air rises, cools, and loses moisture, creating an arid environment.

Orographic uplift

The process by which an air mass is forced to rise over a topographic barrier, leading to cloud and precipitation formation.

Great American Faunal Interchange (GAFI)

A significant biogeographical event where many animal species spread between North and South America during the Pleistocene.

Wallace Line

A boundary that separates the ecosystems of Asia and Australia, demonstrating unique evolutionary histories.

Weber's Line

A line that also demarcates evolutionary differences, located in the waters surrounding the islands of Southeast Asia.