A dynamic and collaborative database for morphogeometric information of trilobites

Area of Science:

• Paleontology
• Macroevolution
• Macroecology
• Geometric Morphometrics

Background:

• Modern morphometrics offers key metrics for understanding macroevolutionary and macroecological patterns.
• Existing databases often lack detailed morphometric data, limiting comprehensive analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce TriloMorph, an open-access database for trilobite morpho-geometric data.
• To provide a standardized protocol for landmark acquisition and data contribution.
• To facilitate global paleobiological research by integrating morphological and contextual data.

Main Methods:

• Development of the TriloMorph database, including a landmark acquisition protocol.
• Inclusion of morphological traits, chronostratigraphic age, geographic location, taxonomy, and lithology.
• Establishment of a GitHub repository for collaborative data input and R functions for data analysis.

Main Results:

• The initial release contains geometric morphometric data for 277 specimens, covering over 55% of Devonian trilobite genera.
• The database offers broad taxonomic and temporal coverage, complementing existing occurrence-based datasets.
• A collaborative platform and analysis tools are provided to encourage ongoing data contribution and research.

Conclusions:

• TriloMorph represents the first dynamic, collaborative online repository for trilobite morphometric data.
• This resource significantly enhances the potential for global paleobiological research.
• The database serves as a crucial complement to current occurrence-based paleontological databases.