Laurasia
Laurasia was the northern half of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea, existing roughly 335 to 175 million years ago. Its name comes from Laurentia (early North America) and Eurasia.
How it formed
- Earlier, Laurentia joined with Baltica and Avalonia to form Laurussia. Later, Siberia and Kazakhstania joined to create Laurasia, around 290–300 million years ago.
What happened to it
- As Pangaea began to break apart in the late Triassic to early Jurassic, Laurasia split from Gondwana and drifted north.
- The opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, starting around 83 million years ago and continuing through the Cretaceous, gradually split Laurasia into separate landmasses.
What it became
- The pieces of Laurasia eventually formed today’s North America, Europe, and much of Asia, with smaller blocks contributing to other regions of Europe and Asia.
In short, Laurasia was the northern half of Pangaea, made up of what would become North America, Europe, and large parts of Asia.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:36 (CET).