How and why is Indian and African wildlife so similar? This is a question that we as guides often get asked when guests are interested in exploring th

Why are Indian and African animals so similar? - Wandering Thru

submited by
Style Pass
2024-11-17 14:00:19

How and why is Indian and African wildlife so similar? This is a question that we as guides often get asked when guests are interested in exploring these two special places. This not only includes the large mammals, but birds and vegetation too.

Indian and African wildlife exhibit notable similarities, despite being continents apart. These resemblances were down to a combination of geological history, evolutionary convergence, and ecological parallels. Here we’ll take a deeper look at the more historical story, emphasizing the role of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, similar evolutionary pressures, and similar habitats that have driven these similarities.

The geological history of Earth gives us insights into the similarities between Indian and African wildlife. Around 200 million years ago, all the continents were part of a single massive supercontinent called Pangaea. Pangaea eventually split into two supercontinents: Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south. Gondwana included what are now Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent.

During the Jurassic period, approximately 180 million years ago, Gondwana began to break apart. The separation of these landmasses facilitated the independent evolution of flora and fauna. However, because these regions were once joined, they shared many species and ecological niches. When the Indian subcontinent finally drifted away from Madagascar and collided with Asia about 50 million years ago, it carried with it a host of Gondwanan species.

Leave a Comment