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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

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Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
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Extending mammal specimens with their essential phenotypic traits.

Bryan S McLean1, David Bloom1, Edward B Davis2

  • 1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, United States.

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The Ranges Digitization Network (Ranges) is digitizing mammal specimen traits in North America to create an open-access data resource. This initiative enhances biodiversity research and conservation efforts by linking specimen data with crucial life-history information.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Biodiversity Science
  • Mammalogy
  • Museum Informatics

Background:

  • Natural history collections are vital for biodiversity research, with digitization enhancing data accessibility.
  • Digitized specimen records form an extended specimen network, facilitating data sharing and use.
  • Key specimen-level data, including morphological and life-history traits, are still largely absent from digital records.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To digitize specimen-level traits for terrestrial mammals in western North America.
  • To append these traits to existing digital records and publish them openly.
  • To establish data standards and workflows for trait digitization extendable to other regions and taxa.

Main Methods:

  • A community effort involving 23 institutions to digitize traits from mammal specimens.
  • Focus on non-marine mammal species (native and introduced) in western Canada, the western United States, and Mexico.
  • Development of interoperable data streams and trait data standards.

Main Results:

  • Creation of a comprehensive, openly accessible dataset of mammal traits.
  • Establishment of standardized informatics workflows for trait digitization.
  • Enhanced digital specimen records with critical morphological, reproductive, and life-history information.

Conclusions:

  • The Ranges Digitization Network advances mammalogy by enriching digital specimen data.
  • This project creates a community-curated resource for research, training, and conservation.
  • It establishes a model for extending trait digitization to global biodiversity collections.