Journal article
The billion-dollar case for sustaining palaeontology's digital databases
Nature ecology & evolution, Forthcoming
10 Feb 2026
PMID: 41667741
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The digital revolution has transformed palaeontology through the development of openly accessible, community-driven databases that underpin some of the most complex and large-scale empirical studies of the history of life on Earth. These systems safeguard high-effort, volunteered data and have revealed major macroevolutionary patterns, including the 'Big 5' mass extinctions. These efforts also represent remarkable global scientific and financial investment, which is continually required to support the next generation of databases and associated research. Here we conducted a survey of 118 palaeontological and allied Earth science databases, analysing their diversity dynamics, including origination and extinction rates. We show that approximately 85% of all community-curated databases have lifespans of less than 15 years, putting decades of investment at risk. We show that database creation effort has increased in the past 30 years, with peaks in database loss related to 5-year funding cycles. We advocate for strategies to enhance database longevity, including sustained funding models, stronger institutional support and modular backend architectures that better link international community databases to each other and to fossil specimens.
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Details
- Title
- The billion-dollar case for sustaining palaeontology's digital databases
- Creators
- Elizabeth M. Dowding - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergEmma M. Dunne - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergKatie S. Collins - Natural History MuseumKatheryn Cryer - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergKenneth De Baets - University of WarsawDanijela Dimitrijevic - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergStewart M. Edie - Smithsonian InstitutionSeth Finnegan - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteWolfgang Kiessling - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergKari Lintulaakso - Finnish Museum Nat Hist, Nat Sci Unit, Helsinki, FinlandLee Hsiang Liow - University of OsloHolly Little - Smithsonian InstitutionLin Na - Chinese Academy of SciencesShanan E. Peters - University of Wisconsin–MadisonJohan Renaudie - Museum für NaturkundeErin E. Saupe - University of OxfordBarbara Seuss - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergJocelyn A. Sessa - Drexel UniversityJansen A. Smith - University of Minnesota, DuluthMark D. Uhen - George Mason UniversityJohn W. Williams - University of Wisconsin–MadisonAdam T. Kocsis (Corresponding Author) - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Publication Details
- Nature ecology & evolution, Forthcoming
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- NE/V011405/1 / Leverhulme Trust NERC grant NE/C001340/1; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) AZ96796; Az 96 796 / Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung); Volkswagen 42372039 / National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) I.3.4 Action of the Excellence Initiative - Research University Programme at the University of Warsaw (Project: PARADIVE) Friedrich-Alexander-Universitt Erlangen-Nrnberg Emerging Talents Initiative 1928362; 1948831; 2410961 / NSF | GEO | Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) NE/C001340/1 / RCUK | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC); UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001685735700001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105029812122
- Other Identifier
- 991022163433904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology