The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating

Daniel T. Ksepka; James F. Parham; James F. Allman; Michael J. Benton; Matthew T. Carrano; Karen A. Cranston; Philip C. J. Donoghue; Jason J. Head; Elizabeth J. Hermsen; Randall B. Irmis; Walter G. Joyce; Manpreet Kohli; Kristin D. Lamm; Dan Leehr; Joses L. Patane; P. David Polly; Matthew J. Phillips; N. Adam Smith; Nathan D. Smith; Marcel van Tuinen; Jessica L. Ware; Rachel C. M. Warnock

doi:10.1093/sysbio/syv025

The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating

Daniel T. Ksepka^*, James F. Parham, James F. Allman, Michael J. Benton, Matthew T. Carrano, Karen A. Cranston, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Jason J. Head, Elizabeth J. Hermsen, Randall B. Irmis, Walter G. Joyce, Manpreet Kohli, Kristin D. Lamm, Dan Leehr, Joses L. Patane, P. David Polly, Matthew J. Phillips, N. Adam Smith, Nathan D. Smith, Marcel van TuinenJessica L. Ware, Rachel C. M. Warnock

^*Corresponding author for this work

Marine Biology

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Abstract

Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important-often least appreciated-step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the database.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	853-859
Number of pages	7
Journal	Systematic biology
Volume	64
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv025
Publication status	Published - Sept-2015

Keywords

Calibration
divergence dating
fossil
TIME-ESTIMATION
AGE
UNCERTAINTY
CLOCKS
IMPACT
LIFE
TREE

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The Fossil Calibration DatabaseFinal publisher's version, 896 KBLicence: CC BY

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Ksepka, D. T., Parham, J. F., Allman, J. F., Benton, M. J., Carrano, M. T., Cranston, K. A., Donoghue, P. C. J., Head, J. J., Hermsen, E. J., Irmis, R. B., Joyce, W. G., Kohli, M., Lamm, K. D., Leehr, D., Patane, J. L., Polly, P. D., Phillips, M. J., Smith, N. A., Smith, N. D., ... Warnock, R. C. M. (2015). The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating. Systematic biology, 64(5), 853-859. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv025

@article{40b3cc977a85402eab1766f1bde8e005,

title = "The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating",

abstract = "Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important-often least appreciated-step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the database.",

keywords = "Calibration, divergence dating, fossil, TIME-ESTIMATION, AGE, UNCERTAINTY, CLOCKS, IMPACT, LIFE, TREE",

author = "Ksepka, {Daniel T.} and Parham, {James F.} and Allman, {James F.} and Benton, {Michael J.} and Carrano, {Matthew T.} and Cranston, {Karen A.} and Donoghue, {Philip C. J.} and Head, {Jason J.} and Hermsen, {Elizabeth J.} and Irmis, {Randall B.} and Joyce, {Walter G.} and Manpreet Kohli and Lamm, {Kristin D.} and Dan Leehr and Patane, {Joses L.} and Polly, {P. David} and Phillips, {Matthew J.} and Smith, {N. Adam} and Smith, {Nathan D.} and {van Tuinen}, Marcel and Ware, {Jessica L.} and Warnock, {Rachel C. M.}",

year = "2015",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1093/sysbio/syv025",

language = "English",

volume = "64",

pages = "853--859",

journal = "Systematic biology",

issn = "1063-5157",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "5",

}

Ksepka, DT, Parham, JF, Allman, JF, Benton, MJ, Carrano, MT, Cranston, KA, Donoghue, PCJ, Head, JJ, Hermsen, EJ, Irmis, RB, Joyce, WG, Kohli, M, Lamm, KD, Leehr, D, Patane, JL, Polly, PD, Phillips, MJ, Smith, NA, Smith, ND, van Tuinen, M, Ware, JL & Warnock, RCM 2015, 'The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating', Systematic biology, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 853-859. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv025

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Fossil Calibration Database

T2 - A new resource for divergence dating

AU - Ksepka, Daniel T.

AU - Parham, James F.

AU - Allman, James F.

AU - Benton, Michael J.

AU - Carrano, Matthew T.

AU - Cranston, Karen A.

AU - Donoghue, Philip C. J.

AU - Head, Jason J.

AU - Hermsen, Elizabeth J.

AU - Irmis, Randall B.

AU - Joyce, Walter G.

AU - Kohli, Manpreet

AU - Lamm, Kristin D.

AU - Leehr, Dan

AU - Patane, Joses L.

AU - Polly, P. David

AU - Phillips, Matthew J.

AU - Smith, N. Adam

AU - Smith, Nathan D.

AU - van Tuinen, Marcel

AU - Ware, Jessica L.

AU - Warnock, Rachel C. M.

PY - 2015/9

Y1 - 2015/9

N2 - Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important-often least appreciated-step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the database.

AB - Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important-often least appreciated-step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the database.

KW - Calibration

KW - divergence dating

KW - fossil

KW - TIME-ESTIMATION

KW - AGE

KW - UNCERTAINTY

KW - CLOCKS

KW - IMPACT

KW - LIFE

KW - TREE

U2 - 10.1093/sysbio/syv025

DO - 10.1093/sysbio/syv025

M3 - Article

SN - 1063-5157

VL - 64

SP - 853

EP - 859

JO - Systematic biology

JF - Systematic biology

IS - 5

ER -

The Fossil Calibration Database: A new resource for divergence dating

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Keywords

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