boring billion

American  

[bawr-ing bil-yuhn] / ˈbɔr ɪŋ ˈbɪl yən /

noun

1. a period in the earth's development occurring between 1,800 and 800 million years ago that is characterized by relative geological and climatic stability, slow evolutionary development, and low levels of atmospheric oxygen.

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Etymology

Origin of boring billion

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

That was the status quo for a billion years, a period in our planet’s history that scientists refer to as the “Boring Billion.”

From National Geographic

Scientists took to calling the later part of this period the “boring billion” because evolution seemed to have stalled.

From The Guardian

The findings also suggest that the preceding era, characterised by lower oxygen levels and sometimes referred to as the "boring billion", may have been misjudged.

From BBC

By studying ancient ironstones from Australia, Canada, China and the United States, the researchers found that oxygen levels were very low at various stages of the boring billion — below 0.1% of present atmospheric levels.

From Nature

“There has been this question as to why the boring billion was boring,” said Timothy Lyons, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Riverside, and one of the study team.

From Nature