Alien desert landscape at sunset with a huge orange sun, a red moon, pine trees, and cracked earth.

This was an era of extremes. It opened with an ice age that turned the southern half of the continent into a continuous block of ice and locked up so much water, global sea levels dropped by up to 120m (394ft). Once this was over, the supercontinent gradually warmed up and dried out. With such an expanse of continuous land, the interior did not benefit from the cooling or moistening effects of the ocean, creating swathes of wasteland. By the middle Permian, central Pangaea was mostly desert scattered with conifers, punctuated by the occasional flood. Parts were nearly uninhabitable, sometimes experiencing air temperatures of up to 73C (163F) – hot enough to slow-roast a turkey. Ver más