This website allows users to explore paleogeographical reconstructions through space and time, and compare them with independent data.
All records are made available to the public based on a Creative Commons license that requires attribution before use. Complete attribution includes the database as well as all references supplying utilized records. This database and website are licensed under a CC BY 4.0 International License.

You can cite this website and database for instance as:
The data and map were downloaded from the Paleoenvironment map website (https://map.paleoenvironment.eu) on 29 January 2021, using the following parameters: reconstruction time: 40 Ma, data time interval: 45-40 Ma, datatype: magmachron

Please also include references to the sources of the data if you make use of the reconstructions on this website. These are links to the sources and the way they like to be cited:

• The paleogeographic reconstructions at 20, 40, 60 Ma are published as: Poblete et al., 2021.
• The marine and terrestrial fossils data are retrieved from The Paleobiology Database
• The geological background map is provided by Macrostrat
• The satellite map comes from ArcGIS

The data you enter is stored temporarily only for the purpose of plotting it. It is not used for other purposes by the team behind this website or third parties.

If you encounter issues, have suggestions for improvement or data to contribute, please send a message through the forum.

Current development of this website is supported by the European Reseach Council’s consolidator grant MAGIC (Monsoons in Asia caused Greenhouse to Icehouse Cooling) no. 649081

• Johannes Stiebitz - API and back end design
• Jovid Aminov - Terra Antiqua
• Diego Ruiz - Built 50 and 30 Ma reconstructions as part of his MSc thesis
• All co-authors of: Poblete, F., Dupont-Nivet, G., Licht, A., Van Hinsbergen, D.J.J., Roperch, P., Mihalynuk, M.G., Johnston, S.T., Guillocheau, F., Baby, G., Fluteau, F., Robin, C., Van der Linden, T.J.M., Ruiz, D. and Baatsen, M., (2021), Towards interactive global paleogeographic maps, new reconstructions at 60, 40 and 20 Ma, Earth Science Reviews

The website works best when steps are taken in this order:

1. Required: Set a time for the reconstruction with the slider below the map. Times where paleogeographic reconstructions are available are marked orange, at other times only polygons of plate boundaries are available
2. Optional: Choose reconstruction options with the button .
• Paleomagnetic reference frame is the standard setting and is best for paleoclimate purposes and one of the hotspot reference frames for geodynamics (Poblete et al., in review)
• Choose between end-member tectonic models for the India-Asia collision (more details in Poblete et al., in review)
• Choose between open or closed Turgai Strait end members
3. Optional: Choose for reconstructions between the basemaps with paleogeography (if available) or polygons with the button . At present satellite photos and a geological map are available.
4. Optional: Add your own data or data used to make the reconstruction with the button
For your data:

• Provide csv-style data of the form latitude, longitude, attributes, columns separated by commas, lines by 'enter'
• The first line will be interpreted as header row for a popup which is shown on clicking the point on the map
• If you include color in the header row, this column is used for coloring the dots on the map
• Colors can be entered as html color names or hex values.
• Only points inside continental plates can be reconstructed. Points inside oceanic plates will remain in their present day location.
For data used to make the reconstruction:
• Terrestrial fossil finds are plotted as orange points
• Marine fossil finds are plotted as blue points
• Magmachron is red
• Paleoelevation is green
• Thermochron is white
5. Choose projection, centre of view, zoom, gridlines and legend with the button
6. Download an image or data file of your map with the button