Taxonomic measurements are critical for formal descriptions of metazoans. However, often these measurements are only provided in a table within the manuscript, losing data from individual specimens in the process, which could be used for morphometric, morphological or other studies.
My question is if anyone knows of an online repository where files (mainly with .xls extension) can be included.
Such a repository that works like ZooBank but with files instead of nomenclatural acts would be extremely useful. When you upload the file, the repository will give you a link to include in the manuscript. This link will be private until the manuscript is published, and then everyone can access the file via the link in the manuscript.
This would provide a very interesting database with individual morphometric data that does not exist for several animal groups.
If you know of such a repository, please let me know.
Thank you in advance.
Best wishes,
Alberto.
Finally, after an extensive search, and as stated by Miralles et al., (2020), we have not found the aforementioned repository.
Our solution (specific to the study group, in this case, the kinorhynchs) has been to create the database ourselves. For all those interested, the Kinorhyncha Measurement Database is available at this link: https://sites.google.com/a/meiobenthos.com/laboratory/database/kinorhyncha-measurement-database.
However, we are aware that this is only a specific (and partial) solution for a small group of animals, and the fact that we had to create the database ourselves highlights the need for a global, official and organised repository of taxonomic measurements.
REFERENCE:
Miralles, A., Bruy, T., Wolcott, K., Scherz, M. D., et al. 2020. Repositories for Taxonomic Data: Where We Are and What is Missing. Systematic Biology 69, 6: 1231-1253. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syaa026.
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