The Primate Life History Database: A unique shared ecological data resource

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Primate ecology
• Data science

Background:

• Growing recognition of the importance of data archiving, sharing, and public access in scientific research.
• Collaborative databases are increasingly seen as essential tools for facilitating these data management practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative life history database for wild primates developed at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent).
• To address research questions concerning life history patterns and the evolution of mortality and demographic variability in primates.
• To provide a model for developing similar databases for other organisms and collaborative analyses.

Main Methods:

• Development of a collaborative life history database incorporating data from seven primate species.
• Standardization of data across diverse field studies, including challenges, decision-making, and criteria.
• Description of descriptive, structural, and process metadata, along with technical specifications.

Main Results:

• The database integrates diverse life history data for seven wild primate species.
• Standardization processes and criteria for data integration across field studies were established.
• Detailed metadata, including process metadata on database development, were documented.

Conclusions:

• The developed primate life history database serves as a valuable model for researchers creating similar databases for other taxa.
• The documented process metadata can assist other research groups in developing databases for collaborative analyses.
• This work highlights the utility of collaborative databases in advancing evolutionary and demographic research.