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Continental drift, Pangea, and the Cambrian explosion

Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:04 am
Posted by white perch
the bright, happy side of hell
Member since Apr 2012
7108 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:04 am
Ok, all continents were connected at one time in a mass called Pangea. Then the continents started to drift to there current positions via continental drift and plate tectonics.

There are fossils of different species that have been found across different continents, so the continents were connected relatively recently (geologically speaking).

My question is, what was going on with the continents prior to the Cambrian explosion?

For the majority of the earths existence, what were the continental plates doing?
Posted by RogerTheShrubber
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
259315 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:05 am to
quote:

For the majority of the earths existence, what were the continental plates doing?


Probably recycling through subduction.
Posted by starsandstripes
Georgia
Member since Nov 2017
11897 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:06 am to
I think you answered your own question.
Posted by jimbeam
University of LSU
Member since Oct 2011
75703 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:06 am to
quote:

Ok, all continents were connected at one time in a mass called Pangea. Then the continents started to drift to there current positions via continental drift and plate tectonics.
No fricking way!
Posted by NyCaLa
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2014
1013 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:11 am to
The Book of Genesis, bruh
Posted by im4LSU
Hattiesburg, MS
Member since Aug 2004
31896 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:11 am to
quote:

all continents were connected at one time in a mass called Pangea.


yea... and the Earth is flat
Posted by white perch
the bright, happy side of hell
Member since Apr 2012
7108 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:12 am to
What came before pangea? Was all of earths surface land always concentrated in one location (a lop sided earth) or where the continents separated, drift together to form Pangea, and then drift back apart? Given a geologic time scale, this could have already happened several times.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
65389 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:17 am to
The entire land mass was called Wakanda, not Pangea, dummy.

Your entitlement bias game is mighty skrong.
Posted by foshizzle
Washington DC metro
Member since Mar 2008
40599 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:26 am to
Posted by Pectus
Internet
Member since Apr 2010
67302 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:37 am to
quote:

For the majority of the earths existence, what were the continental plates doing?




Building from collision upon collision of island arcs (think Japan and Alaska's Aleutian islands). When these collide the plates that subduct partially melt, giving an altogether different rock type, one that normally comprises continents.

Plate tectonics have been active since the Earth cooled from a molten state about 0.5 billion years into it's history.

Do know that Pangea is ~300 after the Cambrian explosion.
This post was edited on 5/13/18 at 9:38 am
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
65389 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:41 am to
^ (Like he would know ANYTHING about Geology)

Probably looked that stuff up just now on WikiRocks...
Posted by Pectus
Internet
Member since Apr 2010
67302 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:42 am to
quote:

^ (Like he would know ANYTHING about Geology)

Probably looked that stuff up just now on WikiRocks


Yeah, but who wrote WikiRocks?
Posted by Bullfrog
Institutionalized but Unevaluated
Member since Jul 2010
56071 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:45 am to
Your answer is found in noting the similarity of structure.


Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
65389 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 9:49 am to
quote:

Yeah, but who wrote WikiRocks?
Damn.

Posted by Notro
Alison Brie's Boobs
Member since Sep 2011
7879 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 10:12 am to
Posted by white perch
the bright, happy side of hell
Member since Apr 2012
7108 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 10:31 am to
quote:

Notro


Thank you. That pretty much answers my question.
Posted by tketaco
Sunnyside, Houston
Member since Jan 2010
19359 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 10:44 am to
That was Wakanda.
Posted by NorthShoreTiger44
Madisonville
Member since Aug 2014
999 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 10:53 am to
My main question is that it seems like a lot of that is speculation. What proof is there of all these earlier continents and how they started from the beginning? Or is it just all theory and not proven
Posted by 1BamaRTR
In Your Head Blvd
Member since Apr 2015
22501 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 10:57 am to
quote:

Or is it just all theory and not proven

I don’t think you know what theory means in science
Posted by Bullfrog
Institutionalized but Unevaluated
Member since Jul 2010
56071 posts
Posted on 5/13/18 at 11:03 am to
quote:

Or is it just all hypothesis and not proven
FIFY
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