Gondwanas

Gondwanas is a term sometimes used to refer collectively to the southern continents that formed the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, and to features associated with its breakup. Gondwana assembled in the late Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic through the collision of several cratons in the southern hemisphere. It encompassed what are now Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Madagascar, and sometimes parts of the Arabian Plate.

During the Mesozoic, starting around 180 million years ago, Gondwana began to fragment as the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans opened, leading to the isolation of the continents and the eventual configuration of the current landmasses. The term is central to studies of paleogeography, paleoclimatology, and biogeography because the distribution of fossils and modern lineages often reflects their shared Gondwanan origins.

In biology, the "Gondwanan" flora and fauna describes taxa that originated or diversified in Gondwana before the breakup. In geology, "Gondwanas" may be used to describe the landmasses and associated rock formations of Gondwana's different terranes. The term is less common in strict technical usage, where "Gondwana" is the standard name for the supercontinent.