Fossilregisteret

Fossilregisteret is a centralized database and public registry for paleontological finds, designed to document fossil specimens, occurrences, and associated metadata. It is typically maintained by a national, regional, or institutional authority and aggregates data from museums, field expeditions, researchers, and, where allowed, citizen scientists.

The registry records each entry with detailed information about the fossil and its context. This includes taxonomic identification and higher classification, stratigraphic context and geological age, precise locality data (with coordinates where permissible), date of discovery and subsequent work, the collector or finder, the repository or museum accession number, and the preservation state. Additional fields may cover preparation notes, associated figures or images, literature references, and licensing or usage terms.

Purpose and uses of fossilregisteret include supporting scientific research, conservation planning, and education. By centralizing data, the registry enables large-scale analyses of paleontological patterns, helps manage and protect fossil heritage, and provides a transparent, citable source of information for researchers, students, and the public. It also supports compliance with national laws and guidelines governing fossil resources and accessibility of data for cultural and scientific purposes.

Access, governance, and standards are essential aspects of fossilregisteret. It is usually managed by a national museum, geological survey, or similar authority, with data stewardship and quality-control processes. Data submission typically comes from museums, research institutions, and qualified field researchers, and entries are curated before publication. The registry often follows international metadata standards and aims to be interoperable with global resources, enabling data export and integration with wider paleontological databases.