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:

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]

References

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  1. Butterfield N.J. 2000. Bangiomorpha pubescens n. gen., n. sp.: implications for the evolution of sex, multicellularity, and the Mesoproterozoic/Neoproterozoic radiation of eukaryotes. Paleobiology 26, 386–404. [1]