Using the Neotoma Paleoecology Database for Specimen Level Stable Isotope Data

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Neotoma Database (neotomadb.org) functions as an interdisciplinary, open access database for the paleoecology community. Primary data types include proxies such as pollen, vertebrate remains, diatoms, and middens. As stable isotope data become ever more ubiquitous in our study of the past, a new repository within Neotoma has been created, allowing for the integration of this data with existing types. Neotoma serves as a hub for storing and accessing diverse types of data and offers an unparalleled opportunity for visualizing the intersection of multiple strands for paleoecological reconstruction from the macroscopic to microscopic and biogeochemical scales. To date, one of the limiting factors in stable isotope studies for our understanding of variability across not only spatial but also long-term temporal scales has not been lack of data but rather a lack of exchange and integration. In addition to the launch and initial population of the stable isotope repository, issues that exist as challenges for the future, including establishing best practices and standardization in recording/reporting, monitoring data quality, linking datasets, and increasing accessibility while protecting sensitive information will be discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25930