An abbreviation used in geology and paleontology meaning 'million years ago' to describe ancient dates in Earth's history.
Acronym from the phrase 'million years ago' that became standard scientific shorthand in the late 20th century as paleontologists and geologists needed a quick way to reference deep time periods.
When scientists say 'the dinosaurs went extinct 66 mya,' they're using a unit of time that humans find almost incomprehensible—that's 66 million years of history compressed into two letters, which is why abbreviations became essential for discussing geological timescales.
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