Plate Tectonic Evolution of the South Atlantic: Scotese Animation

This animation shows the plate tectonic and paleogeographic evolution of the South Atlantic region from 200 million years ago to the present-day. South Atlantic Ocean formed as a result of the breakup of the supercontinent of Pangea. The South Atlantic opened as South America rifted away from Africa (140 Ma). The last connection between South America and Africa was at ~105 million years ago. After that time the dinosaurs and other animals were no longer able to migrate between Africa and South America.
Please cite this animations as:
Scotese, C.R., and Scotese, J.D., 2006. Plate Tectonic Evolution of South Atlantic PALEOMAP Project, Evanston, IL • Plate Tectonic Evoluti...
Prof. Christopher R. Scotese
Director, PALEOMAP Project
134 Dodge, Evanston Illinois 60202
817 914 7090 (cell)
For more information about the research, publications, and animations of C.R. Scotese, see the links below:
Download complimentary copies (pdfs) of Scotese publications, visit: www.researchga...
or uta.academia.e...
View Scotese animations at: / cscotese
View interview of Professor Scotese: • Paleogeographer's Song...
for more information about the PALEOMAP Project
/ 932
or www.scotese.com
APPS:
Free app - EarthViewer (Apple/Android) showing plate tectonic and paleogeographic evolution through time: www.hhmi.org/bi...
Also check out these apps for the iPhone & iPad:
Cover Art
Ancient Earth: Breakup of Pangea
Thomas L. Moore
Category: Education
Updated: Mar 19, 2012
ALSO Ancient Earth Assembly of Pangea (200 Ma - 540 Ma) itunes.apple.c...

[@michalblazejewski9672]

Thank you Professor for sharing your reconstructions and publications. This is really helpful in my geology nad geography studies.

[@nuil501]

Super didactical; Thanks for sharing, oscar,from brazil.

[@lenguyenxuonghoa]

Africa & South America - Sister Continents

[@zen39dabrowski18]

Tethyan evolution next Sir !

[@miharb21]

hi sr christopher u speak spanish?

[@cscotese]

+miharb21 No palabra Espanio!

[@LaosinToday_Demon]

You The plate Tectonics of Laos (no3D)(yes2D)

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

You can see a separate European plate. The European Plate is different from the Asian Plate but the multiculturalists refuse to admit that it.

[@jp1333]

What does geological history have to do with cultural distribution? Humans didn't even exist until 200,000 years ago. On behalf of the multiculturalists, wtf is your point?

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

@@jp1333 The idea of Europe has cultural significance. The multiculturalists deny the existence of Europe. If Europe doesn't exist then Europeans do not exist. If Europeans do not exist then there is no such thing as western culture

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

@@jp1333 The same idea applies to the apparent size of Africa. European cartographers make Africa look smaller then it really is to diminish the importance of African culture.

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

@@jp1333 Most of Europe comes from North America and the west. If where the land mass of Europe comes from is unimportant then why lie about it?

[@BFDT-4]

So how did primates get separated between The Americas and Africa? OR did they, as stated vaguely (all the time), drift over from Africa to The Americas on rafts?
Further, why do these animations not show even the time of the Chicxulub impact event ~65mya? Is it that this event and its effects are more like a blip than a ten million year epoch?
Thanks for any answers!

[@cscotese]

50 million years ago the South Atlantic was much narrower (~1500 km/930 miles). A few pregnant monkeys could have easily rafted across.
The Chicxulub crater is shown! See ua-cam.com/video/l6EIC83xcQk/v-deo.html - at 70 Ma

[@BFDT-4]

Thanks for replying, Christopher! And thanks for your animations! I guess the visual data/components which are shown on a flat representation could be used to make a 3D interactive animation, too.
But about our friends the new world monkeys... No one knows how they got here, I get it. But what eludes me is the paucity of the attempts to visualize/reconstruct the likely travel route, location, ocean currents, and the primates' stage of development, number of species, size of rafts, co-travellers, etc. Also, given the number of mutations over 50 million years, diversification into daughter species, and DNA research, is it likely that we could see the genetic bottleneck, when clearly a small fraction "made it over", and related species stayed in Africa... The article by Felipe Bandoni de Oliveira says it's likely rafting, not island hopping, that we are left to consider.
I would love to see the above bits woven into a more fleshed out (sorry for the pun) proposal and explanation! :)

[@BFDT-4]

Yes at 3:20 in your link above, now I see the Chicxulub crater. But no event degreening the area. No worries! I was expecting a flash and a mess afterwards, that's all! :)

[@BFDT-4]

At 3:30 it's even clearer!

[@cscotese]

Bryan, I made a little graphic showing how the monkeys got across. Send me you email and I will forward it to you. Chris You can email me at [e-mail]

[@user-fl1vf7di2x]

I read that the andes wear formed in a later period and the Amazonas before the andes was formed it flowed too atlantic wy this is not represented

[@user-fl1vf7di2x]

🎉too pacific i mean

[@rodrigovargasschwarzenberg993]

Bolivia tenía mar en el jurásico jajaja

[@georgettelommen]

Do HUMAN Begins in Africa!

[@Johnthebluehatguy]

yes they do!