Pacific and Atlantic Oceans merged earlier than believed: Fossil reveals

Challenging estimations of some scientists, it has been revealed that the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which were separated by a giant landmass once merged when a chink formed in this super-continent and their waters intermingled much earlier than their earlier co-workers thought.

The scientists believe that this event occurred about 41 million years ago. The plate tectonic driving force broke up the southern super-continent, Gondwana about 160 million years ago. Most of the continents in the Southern Hemisphere were joined to form Gondwana once. And it was during this time, the Drake Passage — an oceanic passageway formed between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Via: Live Science