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Abstract Today’s mysticetes filter-feed using baleen, a novel integumentary structure with no apparent homolog in any living mammal. The origins of filter-feeding and baleen can be informed by the fossil record, including rare instances of soft tissue preservation of baleen and also by potential osteological correlates of baleen. Lateral palatal foramina on the roof of the mouth have been proposed as potential osteological correlates of baleen and their presence in some tooth-bearing stem mysticetes has led to the hypothesis that these early mysticetes possessed both teeth and incipient baleen. Here, we test this hypothesis by examining lateral palatal foramina in both filter-feeding and non-filter-feeding cetaceans, including crown and stem odontocetes and in stem cetaceans (or archaeocetes). We also confirm the presence of lateral palatal foramina in 61 species of terrestrial artiodactyls. CT scanning demonstrates consistent internal morphology across all observed taxa, suggesting that the lateral palatal foramina observed in extant mysticetes are homologous to those of terrestrial artiodactyls. The presence of lateral palatal foramina in terrestrial artiodactyls and non-filter-feeding whales (odontocetes and archaeocetes) suggests that these structures are not unique predictors for the presence of baleen in fossil whales; instead, these structures are more probably associated with gingiva or other oral tissue. 

The Paleobiology Database is an online, non-governmental, non-profit public resource for paleontological data. It is organized and operated by a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, international group of paleobiological researchers. This volume is designed to be a comprehensive guide for Pa-leobiology Database users, both General and Contributory. It covers most database uses from data retrieval and mapping to data contribution of all types. It contains numerous examples to illustrate database use as well as definitions of terms and additional links to numerous other sources. We hope that this user guide will help all users access the great volume of data in the Paleobiology Database and lead others to start and continue to add data to the system. 

Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and implementation of IsoBank (www.isobank.org), a community-driven initiative to create an open-access repository for stable isotope data implemented online in 2021. A central goal of IsoBank is to provide a web-accessible database supporting interdisciplinary stable isotope research and educational opportunities. To achieve this goal, we convened a multi-disciplinary group of over 40 analytical experts, stable isotope researchers, database managers, and web developers to collaboratively design the database. This paper outlines the main features of IsoBank and provides a focused description of the core metadata structure. We present plans for future database and tool development and engagement across the scientific community. These efforts will help facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among the many users of stable isotopic data while also offering useful data resources and standardization of metadata reporting across eco-geoinformatics landscapes.