ll this evolution took place against the backdrop of shifting continents and a changing climate. During the Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic, the continents underwent a change. They had been joined as one supercontinent, Rodinia, but during the Cambrian Period, Rodinia fragmented into Gondwana (consisting of what would eventually become the modern continents of the Southern Hemisphere) and smaller continents made up of bits and pieces of the land that would eventually make up today's northern continents.
The Cambrian was warm worldwide, but would be followed by an ice age in the Ordovician, which caused glaciers to form, sending sea levels downward. Gondwana moved further south during the Ordovician, while the smaller continents started to move closer together. In the Silurian Period, the land masses that would become North America, central and northern Europe, and western Europe moved even closer together. Sea levels rose again, creating shallow inland seas.
In the Devonian, the northern land masses continued merging, and they finally joined together into the supercontinent Euramerica. Gondwana still existed, but the rest of the planet was ocean. By the last period of the Paleozoic, the Permian, Euramerica and Gondwana became one, forming perhaps the most famous supercontinent of them all: Pangaea. The giant ocean surrounding Pangaea was called Panthalassa. Pangaea's interior was likely very dry, because its massive size prevented water-bearing rain clouds from penetrating far beyond the coasts.
The Cambrian was warm worldwide, but would be followed by an ice age in the Ordovician, which caused glaciers to form, sending sea levels downward. Gondwana moved further south during the Ordovician, while the smaller continents started to move closer together. In the Silurian Period, the land masses that would become North America, central and northern Europe, and western Europe moved even closer together. Sea levels rose again, creating shallow inland seas.
In the Devonian, the northern land masses continued merging, and they finally joined together into the supercontinent Euramerica. Gondwana still existed, but the rest of the planet was ocean. By the last period of the Paleozoic, the Permian, Euramerica and Gondwana became one, forming perhaps the most famous supercontinent of them all: Pangaea. The giant ocean surrounding Pangaea was called Panthalassa. Pangaea's interior was likely very dry, because its massive size prevented water-bearing rain clouds from penetrating far beyond the coasts.
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