The Paleobiology Database (PBDB)

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

The Paleobiology Database (PBDB) provides access to fossil collection records, taxa, stratigraphic units, and published references, with downloadable data, an API, and data-archiving capabilities to publish and share curated datasets.

Target Customer

{"Academic researchers in paleontology, geology, evolutionary biology","Museum curators and staff","University researchers and students","Data scientists and bioinformaticians working with fossil data"}

Key Differentiator

Open-access, community-contributed database of fossil records that combines search/download capabilities, an API, and formal data-archiving with DOIs, supported by NSF funding and professional societies.

Implementation Timeline

Not explicitly stated; the platform emphasizes self-service data discovery, download, and archiving, suggesting immediate value upon configuring queries and archives

Pain Points

1Fragmented or scattered fossil data across publications and collections
2Need for machine-readable, downloadable fossil data across multiple data types
3Difficulty creating citable, archive-ready datasets from disparate sources

Key Features

1Fossil collection records, fossil taxa, stratigraphic units, bibliographic references
2PBDB Download Generator to export data in CSV, TSV, JSON, and RIS formats with flexible criteria
3Support for public data or login-restricted (non-public) data, including embargoed datasets
4Archive creation and DOI assignment for data collections via the Archive Management workflow
5Paleogeography options and plate-based filtering to constrain results
6R packages, API resources, tutorials, and data-entry instructions to facilitate use

Target Customer Industries

Competitive Advantages

1Open-access access to comprehensive fossil data and literature
2Flexible, multi-format data exports and query capabilities
3Embargoed data handling with controlled access for contributors
4Ability to create, describe, and publish data archives with DOIs
5Educational and developer-oriented resources (tutorials, APIs, scripts)

Key Benefits

1Access to comprehensive fossil records and literature

2Versatile data exports (CSV, TSV, JSON, RIS)

3Ability to archive datasets with DOIs for publication

4Support for embargoed data and controlled sharing

5Educational resources, tutorials, and developer tools (R packages, API, scripts)

Additional Product Information

Product Description

An online database and portal for fossil collections, taxa, stratigraphic information, and bibliographic references, with tools to search, download, visualize, and archive data.

Target Market

Academic researchers, museums, universities, and data specialists in paleobiology, geology, and related fields

Unique Value Proposition

Open, community-curated fossil data with robust download and archiving capabilities, plus API access and formal DOI-backed archives, backed by NSF funding and professional societies

Technical Requirements

Access to the online PBDB platform; login for non-public data; use of the Download Generator/API; ability to specify complex queries (taxa, references, collections, time, geography, etc.); support for paleogeography models and regular expressions in searches

Pricing Model

Not specified in content; Patreon support referenced; primary funding from NSF with ongoing support from professional societies

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