diff --git a/book/figures/fig-life-planet-sourdough-timeline.tex b/book/figures/fig-life-planet-sourdough-timeline.tex
index 2901fa6a..0db4ee76 100644
--- a/book/figures/fig-life-planet-sourdough-timeline.tex
+++ b/book/figures/fig-life-planet-sourdough-timeline.tex
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@
   \draw[line width=1pt] (\textwidth,0.1) -- (\textwidth,-0.1);
 
   % Full timeline width for billion years
-  \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-3.8) -- node[midway, fill=white] {4.45 billion years} (\textwidth,-3.8);
+  \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-3.8) -- node[midway, timeline_timespan] {5.45 billion years} (\textwidth,-3.8);
   \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-3.7) -- (0,-3.9);
   \draw[line width=1pt] (\textwidth,-3.7) -- (\textwidth,-3.9);
 
   % Indicator for the period of 3 months = 1.1 billion years
-  \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-1.0) -- node[midway, fill=white] {1.11 billion years} ({\segmentwidth * 3},-1.0);
+  \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-1.0) -- node[midway, timeline_timespan] {1.11 billion years} ({\segmentwidth * 3},-1.0);
   \draw[line width=1pt] (0,-0.9) -- (0,-1.1);
   \draw[line width=1pt] ({\segmentwidth * 3},-0.9) -- ({\segmentwidth * 3},-1.1);
 
diff --git a/book/figures/flowcharts_tikz.tex b/book/figures/flowcharts_tikz.tex
index fc80a55d..5a8bb6ad 100644
--- a/book/figures/flowcharts_tikz.tex
+++ b/book/figures/flowcharts_tikz.tex
@@ -27,3 +27,6 @@
 \tikzstyle{loop} = [arc, draw=codeblack, line width=0.4mm]
 
 \tikzstyle{timeline_event}=[align=center, fill=white, inner sep=2pt]
+
+\tikzstyle{timeline_timespan} = [rectangle, draw=codeblack, fill=pinkpic,  text=black,
+    text centered, rounded corners, line width=0.4mm]