Thread by @OnlyNakedTruth

Today's thread
Story of India as a floating island, our long lost cousin Madagascar, why Palakkad gap is more than just a break in mountains and how frogs of western ghats are still a living link between India and Madagascar. #CBG_Thread 1/n

In ancient times, India, Africa, South America, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia were lumped together in a single landmass called Gondwana land, which eventually started breaking up into multiple pieces ~180 million years ago 2/n

India, Madagascar and Seychelles broke away from Gondwana as a single unit almost 140 million years ago. Madagascar was attached to India's present day western coast while Seychelles was just south of Saurashtra. Imagine , pristine beaches of Seychelles in Gujarat 😁 3/n

This "Indian Island" drifted up north in the Indian Ocean for several years till it eventually met the Eurasian plate . We all know how that gave rise to Himalayas at the place of meeting and drained out Tethys sea from that area. 4/n

Madagascar split from the Indian plate almost 90 million years ago. Through the fissures arose lava that cooled rapidly to give rise to hexagonal columns of Basalt rocks that are very conspicuously visible at St Mary's Island in Karnataka. 5/n

There is an uninterrupted chain of deposits of Sapphires and Rubies through East Africa, Madagascar, India and Sri Lanka due to the once continuous land mass. These rubies are distinct from "pigeon blood" coloured Burmese Rubies as these are more purplish red in shade. 6/n

The memories of this geological event is also retained in flora and fauna. E.g. Fly trapping pitcher plant is found largely in present day Madagascar, Seychelles, India, SE Asia, Sri Lanka and Australia, which were once clubbed together in Gondwana. 7/n

A few years ago,new species of thumbnail sized frogs were found in western ghats by researcher SD Biju. Guess where else you find teeny tiny frogs? Yes, Madagascar. 8/n

The nearest relatives of western ghats' purple frogs (N Sahyadrensis) are found in Seychelles (Sooglossidae), even though there are almost 70 species of frogs in western ghats themselves!! 9/n

Palakkad gap is a break in the western ghats that provides a link between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In faraway Madagascar, Ranotsara Gap is a nice counterpart to Palakkad gap. No surprises, they were once joined together. 10/n

So essentially the land of Saurashtra is close to Seychelles and Konkan, Tuluva , Kannada, Malayalam speaking western coast is closer to Madagascar geologically. What an interesting world we live in. n/n