Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How may Pangea’s formation have contributed to the Permian mass extinction?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Pangea
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins near the end of the Permian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
The formation of Pangea is considered a contributing factor to the Permian mass extinction, particularly within marine environments. As the supercontinent assembled, several geological and environmental shifts occurred:12
- Loss of Habitat: The collision of continental plates destroyed numerous shallow-water marine basins, which served as the primary habitat for most marine invertebrates.12
- Altered Ocean Circulation: The new landmass acted as a barrier, preventing cold polar waters from circulating into the tropics. This lack of circulation is thought to have reduced dissolved oxygen levels in remaining warm-water habitats.2
- Climate Change: The creation of an extensive north-south landmass and high mountain ranges diverted ocean currents and disrupted atmospheric flow, leading to global warming and the development of widespread arid and hot climates.13
While these factors significantly impacted species diversity, some scientists note that Pangea was fully assembled by the first half of the Permian, whereas the mass extinction did not begin until the final 15 million years of the period.1