Scientists recalculate Gondwana: supercontinent may have covered 80% of land

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences have reconstructed the map of Gondwana, an ancient supercontinent about 550 million years old. After discovering previously unknown crustal fragments, they now estimate its area at 80% of all landmass, up from the previously believed 64%, according to Daily Mail.

Scientists analyzed over 25,000 magmatic rocks and used AI to identify buried crustal sections in Asia, Europe, and North America.

They suggest the supercontinent's size could have influenced the Cambrian explosion around 541 million years ago, as well as ocean levels, the atmosphere, and mantle processes.