Australia rose out of Pacific depths and drifted south. [1] 370,000,000 years ago, the great almost total submergence of North and South America occurred, followed by the sinking of Africa and Australia. [2]
360,000,000 years ago the land was still rising. The supposed glacial deposits appearing in connection with these strata in Europe, Africa, China, and Australia are due to isolated mountain glaciers or to the displacement of glacial debris of later origin. [3] 340,000,000 years ago there occurred another extensive land sinking except in Asia and Australia. [4] 280,000,000 years ago the continents had largely emerged. Several layers extend over Canada, portions of South America, Australia. [5]
The land areas of North and South America, Europe, Africa, northern Asia, and Australia were briefly inundated. Following these submergences, many of the shore lines were considerably elevated. [6]
210,000,000 years ago the warm-water arctic seas covered most of North America and Europe. The south polar waters inundated South America and Australia,. [7] A limestone layer was deposited in Australia. [8] 65,000,000 years ago there occurred one of the greatest lava flows of all time and can be found in Australia. [9]
At the time of the Andonic migrations there was a continuous land path from England in the west on through Europe and Asia to Java in the east; but Australia was again isolated, which further accentuated the development of its own peculiar fauna. The ancestors of the later kangaroos roamed Australia. [10] There were no dinosaurs, elephants, mastodons, or rhinoceroses in Australia. [11]
It was once a general practice for primitive mothers to kill and eat their own children in order to renew the strength lost in childbearing, and in Queensland the first child is still frequently thus killed and devoured. [12]