Scientists Found the Missing Pieces of a Lost Supercontinent

Scientists thought they understood Gondwana. A new 2026 study suggests they were missing huge pieces of it — hidden beneath younger mountain belts across Asia, Europe and North America. Using neodymium isotope data from 25,346 igneous rocks, researchers reconstructed what they call “Greater Gondwana.” Their model expands Gondwana from roughly 64% to around 80% of Earth’s continental landmass. And the implications go far beyond an ancient map. In this documentary, we follow the geological evidence hidden inside modern continents, the enormous volcanic system reconstructed around Greater Gondwana, and the possible connection between this tectonic upheaval and the environmental changes surrounding the Cambrian radiation. PRIMARY RESEARCH Tao Wang et al. (2026) “Buried fragments reveal a ‘Greater Gondwana’ supercontinent” Science Advances, Vol. 12, Issue 37, eaeh6155 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aeh6155 Deep Time Files explores the lost worlds, ancient oceans, mass extinctions and geological events that transformed our planet over deep time. Subscribe for cinematic science documentaries about the Earth that existed before us. #Gondwana #Geology #DeepTime