The West Gondwana margin : Proterozoic to Mesozoic

The longevity and extent of the oceanic southern margin of Gondwana have made it the subject of intense study for more than 70 years. It was one of the cradles of terrane theory and remains a proving ground for theories of supercontinent amalgamation and break-up. Investigation of processes on this margin, such as accretionary orogenesis and terrane analysis, is vital to our understanding of the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic evolution of the continental crust. In this special issue of Gondwana Research, entitled “The West Gondwana Margin: Proterozoic to Mesozoic”, we have assembled 9 research papers addressing various aspects of the evolution of the West Gondwana margin, first presented at the international meeting ‘Gondwana 12 (Geological and Biological Heritage of Gondwana)’, held in Mendoza, Argentina, in November 2005. Many concern southern South America, which has a fairly continuous Proterozoic to Mesozoic geological record.