Gondwana dispersion and Asian accretion: Tectonic and palaeogeographic evolution of eastern Tethys

Abstract

East, South, and SE Asia comprises a collage of Gondwana-derived continental blocks assembled by the closure of multiple Tethyan and back-arc ocean basins now represented by suture zones. Two major biogeographic boundaries, the Late Palaeozoic Gondwana-Cathaysia divide and the Cenozoic-Recent Australia-Asia divide (Wallace Line) are present (Figures 1 & 2). Phanerozoic evolution of eastern Gondwana, Asia and the eastern Tethys involved the rifting and separation of three collages of continental terranes from eastern Gondwana and the opening and closure of three successive ocean basins (see Figure 3), the Palaeo-Tethys (Devonian-Triassic), Meso-Tethys (Permian-Cretaceous) and Ceno-Tethys (Late Triassic-Cenozoic). This led to the opening and closure of ocean gateways and provision of shallow-marine and terrestrial land bridges and stepping-stones for biotic migration. ... Revised palaeogeographic reconstructions illustrating the tectonic and palaeogeographic evolution of eastern Gondqwana, Asaia and the Eastern Tethys are presented.