Rodinia broke up in the first period of the Neoproterozoic, the
Tonian. Later its continental fragments were re-assembled to
form Pangaea 300–250 million years ago. In contrast with
Pangaea, little is known yet about the exact position and
history of Rodinia. The extreme cooling of the global climate
around 700 million years ago (the so called Snowball Earth of
the Cryogenian period) and the rapid evolution of primitive life
during the following Ediacaran and Cambrian periods may have
been triggered by the breaking up of Rodinia. The break-up of
Rodinia is better understood than its formation. Extensive flood
basalt flows and volcanic eruptions of Neoproterozoic age are
found on most continents. This is evidence for large scale
rifting about 750 million years ago. As early as 850 and 800
million years ago, a rift developed, eventually becoming an
ocean in the Ediacaran. In a separate rifting event about 610
million years ago (halfway in the Ediacaran period), the Iapetus
Ocean formed. It might be that all con