Australia: Biography of a Continent

By: Samuel

Origin of the name

The Name derives from the

Latin word australis, meaning

southern land

The explorer Matthew Flinders

named the land Terra Australis, which was later shortened to its

current form

Tectonic Plates

Australia is located on the Indo-

Australian Plate

It borders the Antarctic, Eurasian,

African, Pacific, and Phillipine

plates.

Tectonic Plates, Australia’s Current

Form

1300-750 Million years ago (myr)-Part of the supercontinent Rodinia

750 myr ago- broke apart from Rodinia, and formed a landmass with India and Antartica

500 myr ago-Formed Godwanawith South America and Africa

300 myr ago- Part of Pangaea

Pangaea breaks up

99 myr ago- Australia separates from Godwana

50 myr ago-seperates from Antartica

Tectonic Plates: Australia’s Current

Position

Australia has been its own

landmass for 50 myr

Australia arrived at its current

potion about 1 myr ago

Animals Unique to Australia

More then 80% of Australia’s plants

and animals are unique to

Australia

Well known animals like the

Kangaroo and Dingo only live in

Australia

Monotremes-Egg laying mammals

Platypus

Echidna

Birds

Snakes

Natural Processes

Movement of Tectonic Plates

Broke apart from Antarctica 50

myr ago > Unique animals and

plants

Sources

The Australian Museum: “The Pleistocene Epoch” http://australianmuseum.net.au/the-pleistocene-epoch

Australia: “Australia’s Animals” http://www.australia.com/en/facts/australias-animals.html

Sheppard Software: “Origin of the Name Australia” http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Oceaniaweb/factfile/Unique-facts-Oceania2.htm

National Geographic: “Continents” http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/continent/

YouTube: “Earth’s History in the Last 600 Million Years” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQVoSyVu9rk