Illustration of continental drift after 250 million years, showing the supercontinent of Pangea Ultima, which was named for the ancient supercontinent of Pangea. Pangea began to break up some 200 million years before the modern era, and around 450 million years before the formation of Pangea Ultima. Some of the shapes of today's continents are still visible. Several such supercontinents have formed in the 4.5-billion-year history of the Earth.