FAQ Updates

[aazaff]

Update the FAQ page to reflect recent changes to the database

• [x] Update current funding and development team information.
• [x] Update the bug reporting and feature requests to link to this issues page.
• [x] Update the paleogeographic rotations information.

[vjpsyverson]

@aazaff can you send me what the new info on the paleogeographic rotations should say?

[aazaff]

Collections in the Paleobiology Database are assigned present-day coordinates and geological ages. These two pieces of information are combined with paleogeographic rotation models to obtain reconstructed paleogeographic positions. Collections without present-day coordinates or a geologic age cannot be rotated.

The Paleobiology Database formerly used rotations provided to us by Christopher Scotese (http://www.scotese.com) as the default. The Scotese rotations are still available for use, but are no longer the default. They can be accessed by selecting different download options from the API or download form.

The Scotese rotations were succeeded as the default option in 2014 by a rotation model created by Mike Gurnis, Mark Turner, and colleagues at EarthByte, which we refer to as the GPlates model. It is now the default model.

Our implementation of the GPlates model was updated on October 24, 2016. The update corrected a bug that was introduced during our conversion from the now defunct GPlates data service over to our own rotation service. It was also updated to the latest version of the EarthByte model. Paleogeographic analyses conducted during this transitional period - from July 26, 2016 to October 24, 2016 - may be inaccurate.

The appropriate citation for the current GPlates model is as follows:

Wright et al. (2013) Towards community-driven paleogeographic reconstructions: integrating open-access paleogeographic and paleobiology data with plate tectonics. Biogeosciences 10:1529-1541

[vjpsyverson]

@markuhen requests also: "Can we change the behavior of the Resource page so that when you click on a resource it spawns a new page vs. leaving PBDB to go to the resource location?"

[aazaff]

I think that Marks request should be filed as a separate issue.

[vjpsyverson]

Just to clarify: does that replace the entire FAQ text about paleocoordinates -- i.e. do we no longer use GPlates?

[aazaff]

GPlates is a GIS program that can take a variety of different rotation models, and is not itself a rotation model. It was a mistake for us to refer to the previous model as GPlates in the PBDB and Macrostrat documentation. Give me a second, and I will update my previous answer to be more thorough.

As for filing a new issue. It's not a big deal, but I'm just trying to keep things tidy. It's standard GitHub practice to file distinct issues separately for record keeping purposes, but we're not exactly a large professional outfit so it doesn't really matter.

[vjpsyverson]

Navigator, then, uses the GPlates visualization software with the EarthByte model?

[aazaff]

Actually, I'm not even sure that the current Navigator polygons are updated to match the current EarthByte model. @jczaplew was the primary developer of navigator, but since he's not directly involved with PBDB development anymore, I don't know who is responsible for keeping things updated.

I don't believe Navigator interfaces with GPlates software in any way. Rather, we use GPlates just once to save the shapefiles to our database, then make calls to the database.

[aazaff]

@jczaplew confirms that the current Navigator polygons are not updated.

[vjpsyverson]

Ugh, ok. Please correct the current text of the bit on paleogeographic coordinates in its entirety and send me a version that's accurate and complete, because I don't know how this works.

Current version on the live site:

Collections in the Paleobiology Database are assigned present-day coordinates and geological ages. These two pieces of information are combined with paleogeographic rotation models to obtain reconstructed paleogeographic positions. We use two different plate rotation models. The first are the rotations provided to us by Christopher Scotese (http://www.scotese.com). These rotations have not changed for years and will not change in the future. The second source is GPlates. GPlates data are obtained by dynamic calls to web data services managed by the GPlates team (we have worked closely with Mike Gurnis and Mark Turner at CalTech). The GPlates rotations are used in the Navigator application and will continue to evolve as the GPlates model evolves. An appropriate current citation for GPlates rotations is: Wright, N. S. Zahirovic, R.D. Müller, M. Seton. 2013. Towards community-driven paleogeographic reconstructions: integrating open-access paleogeographic and paleobiology data with plate tectonics. Biogeosciences 10:1529-1541.

[vjpsyverson]

@markuhen, what's your ExCom chair official "@paleobiodb.org" e-mail?

I just get PBDB email at info@paleobiodb.org. There is not ExCom Chair email address.

[aazaff]

Okay I updated the paleogeography blurb. I'd like @cambro or @markuhen to look at it to make sure I haven't hit any political mines.

I'll file an issue in the Navigator repo about updating the polygons.

[aazaff]

Hi @markuhen, sorry my original comment wasn't clear. My blurb is the third comment in this thread.

Understood. I thought so, but just wanted to be sure. This looks great to me!

[aazaff]

@vjpsyverson, Mark approved the blurb, you can implement it at your leisure.

[vjpsyverson]

Done.