CO subform: Collection Object Citations

Lets say we have a specimen that was published as a paratype in "Cenomanian-Turonian (Cretaceous) Ammonites from Trans-Pecos Texas and Northeastern Chihuahua, Mexico", by D. Powell in J. Paleo V 37 issue 2.

We don't have to type the whole title- in fact, with spacing and capitalization being taken literally in this lookup field, the odds of us typing it 100% correctly (to what was entered into the database) is slim. It's much easier to just type the first few words, hit the drop down (or tab out) and select the title from the drop down menu. You don't need to type much, just the first word or two is often enough to give you a nice short list.

Again, as this is a lookup table so you have options to edit, add and search using different criteria. Please don't. Editing a record in a lookup field can cause a cascade effect that will affect 10's, 100's and even thousands of records. Adding records should only be done by someone trained by the lab librarian or collection manager.

This checkbox should nearly always be selected. If a specimen is any sort of type, chances are it's figured. Specimens that carry a type status of 'referred' generally do not have a figure represented in the paper. It's hit or miss whether 'measured' specimens are figured. You'll have to look through the publication to find out. Publications are generally kept in the type room in the file cabinets. Check with a staff member if you need help finding something.

Remarks often contain which plate and figure the refer to the Collection Object. Sometimes, remarks will also record important information like erroneous numbers or alternate taxon names.

Many times, a specimen from one paper will also be figured in another paper. You can use the navigation tools (labeled A in the image below) to scroll through the reference work titles.