Learn node: paleogeography

The Paleogeographic Atlas Project (PGAP) introduction explains that the project "has existed as research enterprise at The University of Chicago since 1975 when Shell Oil provided initial funding to Alfred (Fred) M. Ziegler. The Atlas project compiled extensive databases useful for the purpose of creating state-of-the-art global paleogeographic reconstructions. Most of these databases are currently curated by Allister Rees, a former PGAP research associate through PaleoIntegration Project web site."

Professor David Rowley at University of Chicago offers the Atlas through his Web site. Many other related subjects are interfaced handsomely on Professor David Rowley's superb Web pages.

The section featured here, and the image to the left, are about The Paleogeography and Geological Evolution of North America. The section has maps that track the ancient landscapes of North America.
Another section of the Web site has detailed global paleography with many slices, maps, and globes.
These resources, and much more, are from the Web site of Northern Arizona State University Professor Ron Blakey, PhD.

PALAEOS: The Trace of Life on Earth
Explore life extensively here, organized by this model: ". . .the earliest and most basic life forms are the Archaea: relatively simple, mostly chemautotrophic single-celled organisms. . . . From the Archaea developed two, quite different groups, the Eubacteria and the Eukarya. The Eubacteria are also single-celled organisms, but with complex cell walls, involving peculiar biochemicals which allow us to conclude, with moderate confidence, that they are a natural group. They include the organisms we normally think of as bacteria and also the blue-green algae. The Eukarya include all organisms made up of cells with nuclei. That is, their DNA is walled off in a separate compartment of the cell."

The scientist S.M. Gon III, who oversees this award-winning Web site writes on the Trilobite Paleogeography page:
"Biogeography involves the mapping and study of the patterns of distribution of organisms within and between the world's regions. The biogeography of plants and animals reflects their ecological requirements and the habitat niches they occupy. Some species are widespread, while others are restricted to certain regions of the globe. Paleogeography offers some of the same approach, but must take into account the fact of plate tectonics, and the changing of continental and ocean basin patterns over the course of hundreds of millions of years. The paleogeography of trilobites is particularly important because they were extremely diverse, were distributed all over the globe, and offer much insight on paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy."

A glossary of the terms and their meaning for paleogeography from the University of California Museum of Paleontology

The invitation to take the Tour of Geological Time:
"Here you can journey through the history of the Earth, with stops at particular points in time to examine the fossil record and stratigraphy. You might wish to start in the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present) and work back through time, or start with Hadean time (4.5 to 3.8 billion years ago) and journey forward to the present day. No matter "when" you start, you will be able to learn about the stratigraphy, ancient life, fossil localities, and tectonics of the various time periods."