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Title: A community-developed extension to Darwin Core for reporting the chronometric age of specimens
Darwin Core, the data standard used for sharing modern biodiversity and paleodiversity occurrence records, has previously lacked proper mechanisms for reporting what is known about the estimated age range of specimens from deep time. This has led to data providers putting these data in fields where they cannot easily be found by users, which impedes the reuse and improvement of these data by other researchers. Here we describe the development of the Chronometric Age Extension to Darwin Core, a ratified, community-developed extension that enables the reporting of ages of specimens from deeper time and the evidence supporting these estimates. The extension standardizes reporting about the methods or assays used to determine an age and other critical information like uncertainty. It gives data providers flexibility about the level of detail reported, focusing on the minimum information needed for reuse while still allowing for significant detail if providers have it. Providing a standardized format for reporting these data will make them easier to find and search and enable researchers to pinpoint specimens of interest for data improvement or accumulate more data for broad temporal studies. The Chronometric Age Extension was also the first community-managed vocabulary to undergo the new Biodiversity Informatics Standards (TDWG) review and ratification process, thus providing a blueprint for future Darwin Core extension development.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1655720 1929448
PAR ID:
10411244
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Haldorai, Anandakumar
Date Published:
Journal Name:
PLOS ONE
Volume:
17
Issue:
9
ISSN:
1932-6203
Page Range / eLocation ID:
e0261044
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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