[Krystal1991]

I want to write a book about what the world would be like if the continents reformed to one single continent. I have more than one question,
First, Is there a way it could happen suddenly?
Second, Could a bomb set off an earthquake?/ Is there anything that can set off an earthquake?
Third, Would lifeforms on earth be the same species? or would it effect the order of evolution in some why?
I have a lot more questions but the first two are my main concern for the book. If you can help me I would greatly appreciate it. I want to make this book as realistic as possible.
Thank you,
Krystal

[setexenv]

Answer to Q1: Continents move around very slowly (millimeters per year), but over huge amounts of time (hundreds of millions or billions of years), they can move around in a way that impacts climate, seal levels, and evolution. Don't look for the continents to reform Pangea anytime soon! Answer to Q2: Many things can cause earthquakes, but primarily earthquakes are caused by movements of the plates of the earth's crust (the things that continents move around on). It takes a vast amounts of energy to cause a substantial earthquake. However, smaller earthquakes (microseisms) can be caused by many things such as the piling up of sediments by the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico, or the removal of groundwater from sediments causing the sediments to settle, or by the injection of materials into injection wells or into oil fields to remove hard to remove oil deposits. Question No. 3: I think someone who understands evolutionary biology should answer this question, but keep in mind that species with shorter lifespans evolve more quickly than species with longer lifespans (I think). Mutations resulting from exposure to radioactive materials are another story. Hope I've helped on the first 2 questions anyway.

[hheath541]

Q1: suddenly? Not a chance. Land moves too slowly to call it suddenly ^_^

Q2: I think bombs have caused earthquakes in the past. Building demolition, and other events that involve large structures or amounts of... stuff... being displaced, can cause localized earthquakes.

Q3: just imagine the competition! Animals that have never met each other before are suddenly living in the same place, eating the same food, and now have several times as many enemies to watch out for. It would be like setting a pride of lions loose on a buffalo herd. They have no natural defense against them. Pandas and koalas could end up competing for the same food source. It would be all out animal warfare and genocide.

[hheath541]

Oh yeah, and don't forget the inbreeding and crossbreeding. The killer bee was created by breeding a honey bee with an african bee, two species that would never have bred otherwise. Suddenly dingoes and wolves could breed. And lions and cougers. And the million and one species of mosquitoes. And zebras and wild mustangs. Entire new species would crop up.