Pangea break-up, global maps (elliptical projections). The Pangea supercontinent formed about 300 million years ago, in the late Paleozoic Era (around the start of the Permian Period), due to continental drift. At top, Pangea is shown as it appeared 200 million years ago (at the end of the Triassic Period) as it began to break up. This led to the formation of today's continents. The appearance at 135 million years ago (in the Cretaceous Period) is at middle. At bottom is the continents as they appeared 35 million years ago towards the end of the Eocene Epoch (during the Paleogene Period).