A new study published in the journal Science Advances provides evidence that the ancient supercontinent Gondwana was significantly larger than geologists previously estimated. By analyzing geological data, an international team led by researchers from China discovered that remnants of this land mass are buried deep beneath the surface of several modern continents. The findings suggest that approximately 500 million years ago, Gondwana accounted for roughly 80% of the Earth's crust.

The research team utilized advanced mapping techniques to trace the movement and fragmentation of these ancient crustal pieces. According to the study, these findings offer new insights into the geological activity that occurred during the Paleozoic era, helping to explain how the Earth's surface evolved over hundreds of millions of years. While the study confirms the existence of these buried fragments, it also highlights the complex tectonic processes that led to the eventual breakup and dispersal of the supercontinent. The researchers emphasize that this discovery changes the current understanding of how much of the planet's surface was occupied by this single, massive land formation during that period of Earth's history.