Madagascar and India drift apart

Separation developed around 88 million years ago. Volcanic rock ages provide key evidence; the breakup did not happen in one day. After the split, around 72–66 million years ago, India’s Rajasaurus and Madagascar’s Majungasaurus were close dinosaur relatives, not the same species or direct ancestors. As India moved north, lemur ancestors are inferred to have arrived much later from Africa, roughly 60–50 million years ago. The date is uncertain and the proposed rafting route is unknown.