Mesoproterozoic
second Era of the Proterozoic Eon
The Mesoproterozoic is a geologic era which lasted from 1,600 million years ago (mya) to 1,000 mya.
The major events of this era are:
- the breakup of the Columbia supercontinent ~1,500 mya;
- the assembly of the Rodinia supercontinent ~1,100 mya;
- the evolution of sexual reproduction.
Evidence of a eukaryotic red algae, Bangiomorpha pubescens, has been identified from ~1200 mya old rocks in the Hunting Formation (Somerset Island, Canada). This is the oldest known sexually reproducing organism and therefore the earliest known complex multicellular organism.[1]
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