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Great Basin Paleontological Database

¹ GeoInformation Consulting, 2650 NW Roosevelt Drive, Corvallis, Oregon 97330, USA
² U.S. Geological Survey Contractor, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, USA
³ U.S. Geological Survey, MS 973, Box 25046, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA

The U.S. Geological Survey has constructed a paleontological database for the Great Basin physiographic province that can be served over the World Wide Web for data entry, queries, displays, and retrievals. It is similar to the web-database solution that we constructed for Alaskan paleontological data (www.alaskafossil.org). The first phase of this effort was to compile a paleontological bibliography for Nevada and portions of adjacent states in the Great Basin that has recently been completed. In addition, we are also compiling paleontological reports (known as E&R reports) of the U.S. Geological Survey, which are another extensive source of legacy data for this region. Initial population of the database benefited from a recently published conodont data set and is otherwise focused on Devonian and Mississippian localities because strata of this age host important sedimentary exhalative (sedex) Au, Zn, and barite resources and enormous Carlin-type Au deposits. In addition, these strata are the most important petroleum source rocks in the region, and record the transition from extension to contraction associated with the Antler orogeny, the Alamo meteorite impact, and biotic crises associated with global oceanic anoxic events.

The finished product will provide an invaluable tool for future geologic mapping, paleontological research, and mineral resource investigations in the Great Basin, making paleontological data acquired over nearly the past 150 yr readily available over the World Wide Web. A description of the structure of the database and the web interface developed for this effort are provided herein. This database is being used as a model for a National Paleontological Database (which we are currently developing for the U.S. Geological Survey) as well as for other paleontological databases now being developed in other parts of the globe.

Keywords: Great Basin • paleontology • paleogeography • databases • web geographic information system • GIS • digital archives • fossil collections