Possible Biological Consequences of Plate Tectonics

Recent theoretical advances in plate tectonics have started a research trend dealing with the biological consequences of the geological evolution of the earth. The earth's lithosphere consists essentially of a system of large, nearly rigid plates added to by upwelling of new lithosphere and destroyed by subduction and remelting of old lithosphere. These plates have been in motion for at least the last three billion years and have a tremendous affect on the history of environments and biological activity.