Paleobase Database System: An Overview

PaleoBase: Macrofossils.
The PaleoBase Macrofossils Database System is a unique product designed primarily as an educational resource for earth science undergraduates, but which will also appeal to amateur, and professional paleontologists - indeed, anyone with an interest in fossils. Created with the Compustrat database assembler (based on ACI's 4D database engine), PaleoBase databases are designed and built by paleontologists, for paleontologists. Part 1.0 covers fossil arthropods (156 total records) including trilobites (80 records), brachiopods (87 records), bryozoans (37 records), graptolites (41 records), and trace fossils (34 records). Each record contains a complete description of a fossil genus, including the morphological description (with a character/state key), ecological habitat, biogeographical distribution, global chronostratigraphy, and classification. In addition, each genus is illustrated, and Part 1 contains over 800 magnifiable, color digital images many of which are labelled to point out important morphological features. Moreover, each record is linked to a reference that provides an introduction to the primary technical literature on the genus. Together these citations from a user-accessible bibliography ith over 350 cross-referenced and keyword-linked entries. Parts 2 and 3 contain similar numbers of taxa and images.

Searches and Sorts
PaleoBase databases feature multiple tools for performing many different types of record searches and sorts. These exploit the power of relational databases and can be used for a variety of educational and research purposes (some examples can be seen in the Instructors Resources pages). Search-sort parameters include: ecological habitat, biogeographic realm, chronostratigraphic range (to stage level), author (for genus records and bibliographic reference), year of publication (for genus records and bibliographic reference), keyword, morphological character state, shell mineralogy, and all boolean combinations of these parameters. PaleoBase also features the ability to store record lists as separate files and read these lists back into the database as and when they are needed.

Additional Features
The PaleoBase Macrofossils Database Part 1.0 contains one of the most extensive pictorial records of the four included groups ever published. Drawn from the collections of The Natural History Museum (London) and featuring exquisitely-preserved specimens from around the world (including many type specimens), this database will put the highest-quality paleontological teaching collection available literally at your fingertips. Each high-resolution (600 dpi) image is magnifiable using built-in PaleoBase tools such that fully-resolved images many times the size of the actual specimen can be achieved routinely. Where appropriate records are cross-referenced to the popular textbook Clarkson (1998) Invertebrate Palaeontologyand Evolution 4th edition and labelled figures from that text have been included in the database as a guide to the group's morphology. PaleoBase also includes a full glossary of morphological and other technical terms used in the fossil descriptions. Even better, database records can be displayed in multiple windows on your computer's desktop allowing, direct, side-by-side, comparisons between all record data fields - including images and glossary - to be made.

Parts 2.0 and 3.0
Best of all, the PaleoBase Macrofossils Part 1.0 database is only the beginning. Parts 2.0 (molluscs and problematica) and 3.0 (sponges, cnidaria, and echinoderms) are currently under development (see Latest News on Publication for details). The combined database will include over 1000 fully-illustrated and searchable records from all major invertebrate macrofossil clades. The scope of this project is vast, the detail unprecedented in paleontological publishing at this level, and the technology strictly state-of-the-art. When complete, PaleoBase Macrofossils will represent a milestone in paleontological systematics.

PaleoBase: Microfossils
PaleoBase : Microfossils contains over 1000 images records for over 400 genera from the following groups: Foraminifera, Calcareous nannofossils, Ostracods, Radiolaria, Conodonts, Diatoms, Spores and Pollen, Pyrrophyts, Actritarchs, Calcareous Algae, Chitinozoa, and Silicoflagellates.

PaleoBase: Deep Sea Benthic Formanifera
PaleoBase: Deep-Sea Benthic Foraminifera presents the latest taxonomic revision for 350 species in the form of an illustrated, state-of-the-art relational database. Relying primarily on material collected by the Deep-Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Programme (ODP) for examples of characteristic deep-sea species, and containing over 1,000 colour, digital composite illustrations of unprecendented accuracy, this database represents a significant step forward in the presentation of systematic information in general, and microfossil systematics in particular. For the first time, consistent and reliable information for each species morphology, taxonomy, synonymy, bathymetery, paleoecology, chronostratigraphy, biostratigraphy is summarized in one place and in a searchable format. In addition, the database contains a morphological key for each species and citations to over 350 references from the primary scientific literature.

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