Hopefully, this isn't a new fact for you.

希望這對你而言並不是個太新奇的知識

Over the vast lifespan,

太古至今

Earth has mashed its land masses together.

地球不斷的攪爛自己的陸地又把他們混合再一起

In fact over 300 million years ago,

事實上，在漫長的三億年前

all the Earth's continents were connected into one large supercontinent

現今地球上的眾多陸地曾是一塊巨大的超級大陸

called Pangea.

稱為[盤古大陸]

Surrounded by one superocean

此超級大陸被一片海洋包圍著

called Panthalassa.

這海洋被稱為[泛大洋]

For over a 100 million years,

足足有一億年的時間

the Earth had only one continent

我們的地球只有一片超級大陸

and one ocean,

還有一片超級大洋

until breaking up and eventually forming the continents we see today.

必須等到數億年後才能形成今日我們所居住的陸地

Booo!

地球：噓！！！

What if in alternate timeline,

如果現在在另一個平行時空

Pangea still existed?

而在這平行時空中的盤古大陸並未分裂呢？

The continents simply never broke apart

如果唯一的變因只是盤古大陸沒有分裂

and if humans were rose to spread across the world.

而人類必須在這塊超級大陸上生存及繁衍

How would civilization be affected?

則人類的文明將受到怎樣的影響呢？

Before answering these questions,

在回答這個問題之前

we need to discuss a few facts.

我們必須先討論一些事實

This is all theoretical.

根據我們所研究出來的理論來分析

If Pangea was still around,

如果盤古大陸依然存在

it's best to assume humans wouldn't be.

則代表 "現今的人類"並不會出現在這個地球上

Evolution is a cause and effect process

物種進化是一個因與果的過程

affected by the environment and geography.

並主要受環境及地理的影響

The simplest change in climate

一個極小的氣候變遷

can affect the lineage of a species

將可能深深影響一個生物族群的變化

forcing them to adapt or to go extinct.

並且迫使生物族群是該生存，抑或滅絕

Without an Africa factor for apes to be able to rise,

若非洲大陸沒有分裂出來，類人猿族群 將無法繼續進化發展

homo sapiens ancestors would have gone down a much different alternate path.

智人也將往一個非常不同的路途演化

This said, we can still place humans on Pangea for the sake of the theory.

據理論來看，人類還是能在盤古大陸上生存

Plus, it would be boring without us.

但是，這顆地球將會變得無趣許多

Humans are resourceful

人類是高度智慧的生物

and would be able to spread and conquer this Pangea world.

然後他們會立馬擴散並且開始統領整座盤古大陸

But geographically, what would this planet look like?

但從地理學的觀點上來看，這顆地球將會有何不同呢？

Pangea specifics are a mystery to us.

我們對於盤古大陸上的許多細節都尚未清楚

We can only get a basic look of what its shape was

我們只能大略推測出它的基本輪廓

and hypothesize form there.

我們只能大略推測出它的基本輪廓

Unlike today,

不像今天

where most land is in the Northern Hemisphere,

今日的陸地主要分布於北半球

most land on Pangea was south of the Equator.

而盤古大陸的陸地則主要分布於南半球

Long mountain ranges rose in the center of Pangea from connecting continents.

板塊擠壓使盤古大陸中央隆起一座長長的山脈

Similar to India pushing up against Asia,

此現象就如印澳板塊擠壓歐亞板塊

creating the Himalayas.

創造出了喜馬拉雅山山脈。

Because of these mountains,

因為這些山脈的存在

arid desert landscapes formed due to lack of rainfall.

導致缺乏降雨而形成乾旱的沙漠景觀

It's been theorized, mega monsoons swept from the oceans

再來，大型季風襲捲整座海洋

and brought rain to the equatorial regions.

把挾帶進來的水氣帶入赤道地區

This would replenish the vast rainforests which spanned the Equator,

進而衍生出橫跨赤道地區的熱帶雨林風貌

which is present day North America in western Europe.

這個地區正是今日地球的北美洲與西歐

Fun Fact!

！有趣的事實！

A lot of that coal used to bring

大量煤礦的發現，促使英國領先進入工業時代

Britain into an industrial age

大量煤礦的發現，促使英國領先進入工業時代

and mine in West Virginia,

而在西維吉尼亞州的大量礦藏

was from the lush tropical forest millions of years ago.

都曾來自於盤古大陸時期的熱帶雨林植物百萬年來的 高溫壓縮

Yay! Science!

耶~這就是科學啦！

Back on track,

回到正軌

human civilization would be drawn to the coastline

人類的文明將在海岸線地區發展

just as in our timeline.

就和我們的這個時空一樣

No surprise.

毫不意外

Tribes in Nomadic people

遊牧民族的部落

would roam in the less hospitable lands.

將會漫遊在這塊不太友善的土地上

Even if all of humanity share the same continent,

但即使所有的人類都共享著這塊大陸

this does not mean they would be more connected.

也不代表人類關係會更加的天涯若比鄰

If large deserts or rainforests did form in the center of Pangea,

如果廣大的沙漠與雨林皆在盤古大陸的中心地帶形成

they would just be as limiting to communication

他們仍會受到諸多的溝通阻礙

between people as any ocean would be.

就像被陸地分隔的兩片大洋一樣難以相聚

We see this in Africa,

讓我們來看看非洲大陸

Sub-Saharan Africa is connected to Asia,

撒哈拉以南地區連接著亞洲

just as it is with Europe.

就像它連結著歐洲一樣

Yet there was much less communication.

即使如此兩地依舊難以互相交流

Very little trade occurred,

除了東非及馬達加斯加以外，兩地也難以進行貿易往來

not counting East Africa and Madagascar.

除了東非及馬達加斯加以外，兩地也難以進行貿易往來

Parts of Sub-Saharan Africa

部分的撒哈拉以南地區

were almost the equivalent of the Americas

就像大航海時代前的美洲大陸一樣如世外桃源

in its isolation.

就像大航海時代前的美洲大陸一樣如世外桃源

Which is why tribes like the Zulus

為何祖魯部落仍使用落後的長矛武器來 對抗英國的機槍大砲？

still use spears up against British machine guns.

為何祖魯部落仍使用落後的長矛武器來 對抗英國的機槍大砲？

This was because of the natural barriers

這就是因為地理環境的阻隔

of the Saharan desert and the Congo jungle.

像是撒哈拉沙漠及剛果叢林等地理屏障 阻隔了人類的交流往來

Both regions were very difficult to cross

在工業革命以前

before the Industrial Revolution

要跨越這兩個地理屏障都是如登天般的困難

and create a rift in communication

也造成了東亞文明與歐洲文明的溝通阻隔

between civilizations of East Asia and Europe

也造成了東亞文明與歐洲文明的溝通阻隔

with Sub-Saharan Africa.

這也是由於撒哈拉以南地區的地理屏障

The point is

重點在於

we could still see the same effects in Pangea.

我們也能在盤古大陸上看到如上所述的現象

Deserts could split east and west,

沙漠地帶可能分裂成東部及西部

while the equator rainforests could split north and south.

赤道地區雨林也有可能分裂成南方及北方

Present day North America and Eurasian peoples

就像今天的北美地區人民和歐亞地區人民

could develop a culture independent of South American,

可以在南美洲地區

African and Australian people.

非洲及澳洲發展自己的文明

This is all theoretical though,

這只是理論

there is no hundred percent accurate way

且我們尚無能夠百分之百推測

to predict how things would have been.

盤古大陸真相的科學方法

This was just my two cents on the matter.

以上只是我提出的一些小觀點與意見

Pangea itself is much of a mystery,

盤古大陸本身有很多的謎團等著我們去發現

but it's always fun to explore the possibilities and geography.

研究它的各種可能性與地理環境是非常有趣的

What do you think the world would be like if Pangea still existed?

如果盤古大陸依然存在，你覺得會發生什麼事呢？

Say it in the comments,

請在下面留言你(妳)的看法

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並在我們的FB按讚

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如果還沒訂閱我們的頻道，趕快去訂閱

This is Cody from the Alternate History Hub.

我是Alternate History Hub 的Cody