What is the name of the supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago?

Pangaea, assembled by about 335 million years ago and beginning to break apart around 175 million - so it existed for a long time and is only the most recent of several. Rodinia, Columbia and others preceded it, and the pattern of continents gathering and dispersing appears to run on a cycle of roughly 400 to 600 million years.

Being one landmass had consequences. The interior was enormously far from any ocean and correspondingly arid, and the coastline-to-area ratio was poor, which reduced shallow marine habitat. The Permian extinction, the worst in Earth's history, killed something like 90 per cent of marine species while Pangaea was assembled, and the geography is thought to be part of why.

The next one is already being modelled. Africa is closing on Europe, the Atlantic may eventually begin subducting, and projections suggest a new supercontinent in 200 to 250 million years - variously named Pangaea Ultima, Amasia or Novopangaea depending on which model you follow. One 2023 paper argued its interior would be so hot that mammals would struggle to survive there, which is a long-range forecast with no practical use and considerable charm.