Hidden landmass in Himalayas rewrites early earth history
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Scientists studying rocks in the Himalayas, a mountain range in Asia, discovered a previously unknown fragment of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.
Researchers from Curtin University re-evaluated Gondwana’s size after analyzing granite samples from the region. They found the samples, aged 20 to 50 million years, originated from the same continental block as Gondwana, adding to its overall mass.
Previous estimates placed Gondwana at 64% of Earth’s total land area, which was considered insufficient to qualify as a supercontinent, a status requiring 75% coverage. Including the newly identified Himalayan fragment, the team now calculates Gondwana comprised approximately 80% of Earth’s landmass. They traced the origins of this fragment across India, Southeast Asia, much of China, and into Kazakhstan, areas previously believed to be ancient ocean floor.
The formation of this larger supercontinent fundamentally altered Earth’s plate tectonics, creating a volcanic arc that would become the precursor to the modern Pacific Ring of Fire. This volcanic activity warmed the planet, transforming it from a cold, barren landscape into one capable of supporting the earliest forms of life.
Scientists believe this process was directly linked to the “Cambrian explosion,” a period of rapid diversification of life around 541 million years ago, and suggest life on Earth might have developed differently if Gondwana hadn't formed.
