120-million-year-old part of Earth just got discovered; details inside

Scientists have discovered proof of an ancient tectonic plate referred to as Pontus in Borneo, tracing back to 120 million years. This part of the Earth was believed to be missing following the dissolution of the supercontinent Pangaea. This astonishing find was brought about by Suzanna van de Langemaat, a graduate geologist, and her overseer, Douwe van Hinsbergen, from Utrecht University.
Surprising findings
In the process of analyzing rock formations in Borneo, Van de Lagemaat discovered clues about the Pontus plate. She stated “We thought we were dealing with relics of a lost plate that we already knew about. But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously known plate.”
Investigating the Junction region
To gain further insight and understanding about the Pontus plate, Van de Lagemaat targeted the Junction region, an intricate zone of tectonic activity that includes New Zealand, the Philippines, Borneo, and Japan. Her investigation directed towards reconstructing how these tectonic plates have gradually moved over millions of years, tracing back to the age of the dinosaurs.
Estimating the plate’s size
It has been known that the Pontus plate was a segment of the crust of the Earth long before the separation of Pangaea. According to the calculations of the researchers, its size was approximately astonishingly about one-fourth the size of the Pacific Ocean. In that timeframe, a massive ocean partitioned Eurasia from Australia, with the Pontus plate positioned beneath these waters. At the onset of Pangaea’s breaking apart, the Pontus plate was assimilated by neighboring plates that currently comprise the regions of Borneo and Phillippines.
Borneo’s geographical importance
Borneo holds a significant geographical place, considering it is the third-largest island in the world and a part of the Greater Sunda Islands, located in Southeast Asia, shared among Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on the geographical history of the region and offers enlightening revelations about how tectonic plates have gradually shifted over millions of years. It also opens new possibilities for understanding Earth's tectonic evolution. This finding could inspire future research into other "missing" plates and their roles in shaping global geography.