The Great American Interchange: When Two Continents Meet, Weird Things Happen

Better Than Human

The Great American Interchange, also called Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI), is the epic geological event that occurred when the South American continent, which had been isolated for 50 million years, connected with the North American continent. The Great American Interchange is one of the most important events in the history of land mammals in the Americas.

The landmass that is South American used to be home to many unique animals, like Australia is today. However, when the volcanic Isthmus of Panama came up from the ocean floor resulting in the formation of a connected Americas, animals could now migrate back and forth. This immigration of animals should have been uniform, but (spoiler alert) North American animals ultimately won out over their South American counterparts. Scientists are still trying to figure out why, though fossil evidence has shed light on the event.

So check our newest episode where we dive into the animals of South America before the interchange and why these native animals were at a disadvantage when the continents connected.

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