Fossil Collections
Some Symbiota portals include features designed to faciliate the management and mobilization of fossil specimen data. Most of these features are described elsewhere in Symbiota Docs. Links to related documentation are provided below.
Getting started
Fossil collections have distinct data requirements from recent biological ("neontological") collections. Prior to using Symbiota to manage and publish fossil specimen data, Collection Administrators are strongly encouraged to carefully review the resouces outlined below.
Essential resources
Documentation related to the management and mobilization of fossil specimen data can be found on the following pages:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Symbiota Data Fields: Paleontology | Provides definitions for all data fields in Symbiota, including those that are unique to fossil specimen data, such as those aligned with the Darwin Core class, GeologicalContext. |
| Symbiota Portal Manager Guide: Paleontology Features | Outlines features that can be activated in a Symbiota portal for the discovery, management, and mobilization of fossil specimen data. |
| Symbiota Editor Guide: Fossil Specimen Data | Outlines instructions related to the mechanics of entering data associated with fossil specimens (i.e., chronostratigraphic data). |
| Symbiota User Guide: Searching for Records | Outlines instructions related to the mechanics of searching for data associated with fossil specimens using the publicly visible search form and Map Search interfaces. |
| Paleo Data Knowledge Hub | Community resource for documenting best practices and recommendations for the management and mobilization of data associated with fossil collections. New Symbiota data providers are advised to start here. |
Additional considerations
Imaging
Information about fossil specimens may not fit neatly into the into the available database fields. To help contextualize fossil specimen data and minimize data loss, data providers are encouraged to include images of specimens and their associated labels alongside their respective catalog records. Learn more about how media (including images) are managed in Symbiota here. Discipline-specific guidance regarding imaging fossils can be found here.
Data redaction
If your collection contains fossil specimens associated with sensitive collecting locations (e.g. on federal lands in the United States), related instructions can be found here. It is the responsibility of the data provider, not the Symbiota Support Hub, to ensure that data shared using Symbiota portals are in compliance with associated regulations.
Discipline-specific guidance
The Paleo Data Working Group (PDWG) is a community of practice that hosts informal meetings and maintains various communication outlets to develop and document best practices associated with fossil specimen data.