Mesoproterozoic

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.