As the rift grew westward, separating Pangea into Laurasia and Gondwana, and millions of years passed, there were numerous changes on each of these large continents. Africa began to separate from Europe, starting the formation of the Mediterranean Sea. Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Iran were attached to the North African part of Gondwana, while Antarctica and Australia detached from Gondwana, but were still in contact with each other. And the block of land we now call India drifted northward.

North America separated from Gondwana and drifted west, resulting in the formation of the Gulf of Mexico, and the widening of the North Atlantic Ocean. South America and Africa began separating, creating a long, narrow seaway that would eventually become the South Atlantic Ocean. In addition, sea levels rose during this period, resulting in shallow seas flooding parts of North America and Europe in the late Jurassic.