During the late Caledonian orogenic cycle Laurentia-Greenland and Fennosarmatia (Baltica) became welded together along the Arctic-North Atlantic Caledonian megasuture, thus forming Laurussia, also referred to as the North Continent (Wilson, 1966; Phillips et al., 1976; Roberts and Gale, 1978; A.M. Ziegler et al., 1979; A.M. Ziegler, 1981). Late syn-orogenic and post-orogenic continental clastics, deposited in intramontane, fault-controlled depressions and also in areas peripheral to the Arctic-North Atlantic Caledonides correspond to the Old Red Sand-stone series; these range in age from latest Silurian to late Devonian (Allen et al., 1967; Friend, 1981). From these clastics the landmass occupying the central parts of Laurussia during Devonian times took its name.
The latest Silurian tectonic and palaeogeographic framework of Laurussia is summarised in Plate 3. Its position relative to Gondwana, and the possible pattern of subduction systems active during this time, is illustrated in Plate 1a.
The early Devonian megatectonic setting of Laurussia is summarised in the Emsian palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic map given in Plate 4. The position of Laurussia relative to Gondwana is illustrated by the palaeorecon-struction of continents in the Western Hemisphere shown in Plate 1b.
The middle Devonian setting of Laurussia is summarised by the Givetian palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic map given in Plate 5 and its possible position relative to Gondwana is depicted by the palaeoreconstruction of continents in the Western hemisphere shown in Plate 1c.
The late Devonian framework of Laurussia is summarised by the Famennian palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic map, given in Plate 6. The relative position of Laurussia and Gondwana is illustrated by Plate 1d.
The late Visean configuration of Laurussia is summarised by the palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic map, given in Plate 7. The suggested position of Laurussia relative to Gondwana is shown in Plate 1e.
The Namurian and Westphalian configuration of Laurussia is summarised in Plates 8 and 9. The suggested position of Laurussia relative to Gondwana, Siberia and Kazakhstan is shown in Plates 2a and b.
The latest Carboniferous-earliest Permian configuration of Pangea is summarised in Plate 2c. An overview of the palaeogeographic-palaeotectonic setting of the Laurussian subcontinent is presented in Plate 10.
The late early Permian (Rotliegend, Saxonian, late Artinskian-Kungurian) and the late Permian (Zechstein, Thuringian, Kazanian-Tatarian) palaeogeographic-palaeotectonic configuration of the northern parts of Pangea are summarised in Plates 11 and 12. An overview of the Pangea continent assembly and its palaeolatitudinal position is provided by Plate 2e and f.
Plate reconstructions underlying our analysis of the evolution of Laurussia are tentative and subject to revision as new palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatological data become available.
