Developing and Integrating Online Taxonomic Databases for 21st Century Paleobiology; Durham North Carolina; August 24-26, 2006

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Developing and integrating online taxonomic databases for 21st centuryby Patricia G. GenselUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel HillEAR-0622695A workshop is proposed that will bring together biologists, paleontologists, and information technology specialists to promote information exchange about best current practices in developing taxonomic databases, including discussion of standards for interoperability among many different databases. Online biological and paleontological databases with a taxonomic component exist or are being developed, although rarely are living and fossil organisms recorded together. Standards for interoperability among different taxonomic databases are being developed, particularly among neobiologists. Including taxonomic names, hierarchies and opinions of fossil and living organisms in searchable databases, either as taxonomic dictionaries or atlases or as part of broader databases will greatly facilitate integrated paleontological and/or biological studies, including documenting biodiversity, improving taxon identification, assessing relationships or interactions among organisms or between organisms and their environment, or studying change in organisms through time. Thus the goal of the proposed workshop is to promote interchange and collaboration among these groups in order to maximize efficiency and minimize redundancy of effort, and to address issues unique to paleontology (time) in developing such databases.