During the Mesozoic era, the peninsular Indian landmass, including present-day Kerala, separated from which ancient supercontinent before initiating its northward drift across the Tethys Ocean?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Peninsular India was an integral part of the southern supercontinent Gondwanaland alongside Madagascar, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica before breaking away during the Cretaceous period and drifting northward toward Eurasia. Laurasia was the northern supercontinent comprising North America and Eurasia. Pannotia and Rodinia are much older supercontinents formed during the Neoproterozoic era. This Gondwanan origin explains the strong floristic and faunal affinities shared between the Western Ghats and other southern hemisphere landmasses.