Editing Pannotia (section)

==Origin of concept==
J. D. A. Piper was probably the first to propose a Proterozoic supercontinent preceding [[Pangaea]], today known as [[Rodinia]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Piper|1976}} </ref><ref>For a more detailed description of the concept(s) of the supercontinent cycle see: {{Harvnb|Nance|Murphy|Santosh|2014|loc=Indications of pre-Pangean supercontinents, pp. 6, 8}}</ref> At that time he simply referred to it as "the Proterozoic super-continent",<ref>{{Harvnb|Piper|1976|loc=Geological and Geophysical implications, p. 478}}</ref> but much later he named this "symmetrical crescent-shaped analogue of Pangaea" 'Palaeopangaea' and in 2000 he still insisted that there is neither a need nor any evidences for Rodinia or its daughter supercontinent Pannotia or a series of other proposed supercontinents since [[Archean|Archaean]] times.<ref>{{Harvnb|Piper|2000|loc=Abstract}}; {{Harvnb|Piper|2010|loc=Abstract}}</ref>

The existence of a late Proterozoic supercontinent, much different from Pangaea, was first proposed by {{Harvnb|McWilliams|1981}} based on [[Paleomagnetism|paleomagnetic]] data, and the break-up of this supercontinent around 625–550 Ma was documented by {{Harvnb|Bond|Nickeson|Kominz|1984}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Murphy|Nance|1991|loc=Introduction, p. 469}}</ref> The reconstruction of Bond et al. is virtually identical to that of {{Harvnb|Dalziel|1997}} and others.<ref>{{Harvnb|Meert|Powell|2001|loc=Fig. 1, p. 2}}</ref>

Another term for the supercontinent that is thought to have existed at the end of Neoproterozoic time is "Greater Gondwanaland", suggested by {{Harvnb|Stern|1994}}. This term recognizes that the supercontinent of [[Gondwana]], which formed at the end of the Neoproterozoic, was once part of the much larger Neoproterozoic supercontinent.<ref>{{Harvnb|Stern|1994|loc=Fig. 1, p. 321; fig. 5, p. 329}}</ref>

Pannotia was named by {{Harvnb|Powell|1995}},<ref>{{Harvnb|Powell|1995|p=1053}}</ref> based on the term "Pannotios" originally proposed by {{Harvnb|Stump|1987}} for "the cycle of tectonic activity common to the Gondwana continents that resulted in the formation of the supercontinent."<ref>{{Harvnb|Stump|1987|loc=Abstract}}; {{Harvnb|Stump|1992|loc=Pannotios tectonism, pp. 30–31}}</ref> {{Harvnb|Young|1995}} proposed renaming the older Proterozoic supercontinent (now known as Rodinia) "Kanatia", the [[St. Lawrence Iroquoians|St. Lawrence Iroquoian]] word from which the name Canada is derived, while keeping the name Rodinia for the latter Neoproterozoic supercontinent (now known as Pannotia).<ref>{{Harvnb|Young|1995|p=154}}</ref> Powell, however, objected to this renaming and instead proposed Stump's term for the latter supercontinent.

[[File:Pannotia - 2.png|250px|thumb|left|An artist's impression of Pannotia, about 600 million years ago, in the [[Ediacaran]] period]]