The animation above shows the whole-world plate tectonic model that was used with the CPSL 'Atlas' software as at 2004. The plate rotation model was called 'feb04' and it is displayed above in an equidistant Mercator projection centred at 20 deg S, 15 deg E so as to show re-assembled Gondwana (at about 200 Ma) with a minimal amount of distortion. As far as possible, Alan Smith took plate rotations from rotation poles published in the literature. Present day coastlines define pale green areas in the animation. Areas with present-day ocean depths less than 2000 m are shown in grey. The animation goes from 550 Ma to the present day, i.e. covers the whole of the Phanerozoic.

The work presented on this website has concentrated only on the refinement of the rotation parameters for the various fragments of Gondwana since about 300 Ma. The animation above gives an idea of the complexity across the whole earth for a period of time almost twice as far into the past as this. Nevertheless, Gondwana remains intact as it transits the south pole, 500 to 300 Ma, and with the northern continents joining and leaving it as Pangea forms and breaks up.