Former supercontinent of the southern hemisphere from which S. America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica are derived. Their earlier connection explains why related groups of plants and animals are found in more than one of the now widely separated southern land masses. Examples include: the Dipnoi (lung-fish) common to S. America, Africa, and Australia; marsupial mammals found today in Australia and for most of the Cenozoic in S. America; and the monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria) common to S. America and Australia.