Specimen metadata

Each species with available sequence data has an associated specimen metadata page. The page displays information about the species (e.g., Higher Taxonomy and IUCN conservation status) and a list of specimens from which the DNA sequences were derived (e.g., where and when the specimen was collected). This page is accessed from the search results page by clicking on a species name. You can view the details for each sequenced specimen by selecting the NBDL unique ID from the specimens list.

From the specimen metadata page you can click the “Download All” button to download sequence data available for all specimens associated with this species. You can also download sequences from each specimen separately by clicking the individual download buttons (see image above). Clicking any download buttons will take you to the Download data page.

All the following specimen metadata fields are available in the metadata download spreadsheet. A subset of these fields is displayed on the specimen page:

NBDL Field Name	Darwin Core Term	Description
Main specimen information
NBDL unique ID		Unique specimen identifier within the NBDL database. Consists of NDBL prefix followed by a dash and a 14-character unique alphanumeric identifier string.
Accession number	catalogNumber	An identifier for the specimen. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to a Collection or Institution.
Scientific name	scientificName	The name, with authorship and date information if known.
Scientific name authorship	scientificNameAuthorship	The authorship information for the scientific name.
Licence	licence	A legal document specifying permitted uses of the resource.
Collection ID	institutionCode	The name or acronym identifying the Collection or data set from which the record was derived.
Collection Name		Full name of the Collection or data set from which the record was derived.
Species Name Supplied		Scientific species name provided by the collection holding the specimen.
Taxonomy supplied		Taxonomic information supplied by the collection holding the specimen and reflecting the higher taxonomy used in that collection’s database.
Other identifiers	otherCatalogNumbers	Additional IDs available for the sample or specimen, such as tissue number. This can include BOLD ID provided by the collection.
Date Identified	dateIdentified	The date (text format) on which the subject was determined as representing the taxon.
Identified By	identifiedBy	A person, group, or organization who assigned the taxon to the specimen.
Type Status	typeStatus	A list (concatenated and separated) of nomenclatural types (type status, typified scientific name, publication) applied to the subject.
Sex	sex	The sex of the biological individual(s) represented.
Life Stage	lifeStage	The age class or life stage of the organism at the time the specimen was recorded.
Preserved Specimen	PreservedSpecimen	The part of the specimen that has been preserved.
Preparations	preparations	A list of preparations and preservation methods for specimen.
Specimen notes	organismRemarks	Comments or notes about the specimen.
Location fields
Country	country	The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the specimen was collected.
State	stateProvince	The name of the next smaller administrative region than country (state, territory, province, canton, department, region, etc.) in which the specimen was collected.
Locality	locality	The specific description of the place where the specimen was collected.
Collection Date	verbatimEventDate	The representation of the date and time information for the date the specimen was collected.
Latitude	decimalLatitude	The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in Geodetic Datum) of either the geographic centre or the geographic starting position of the location where the specimen was collected. Positive values are north of the Equator, negative values are south of it. Legal values lie between -90 and 90, inclusive.
Longitude	decimalLongitude	The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in Geodetic Datum) of either the geographic centre or the geographic starting position of the location where the specimen was collected. Positive values are east of the Greenwich Meridian, negative values are west of it. Legal values lie between -180 and 180, inclusive.
Latitude End		The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in Geodetic Datum) of the geographic end position of the location where the specimen was collected. Positive values are north of the Equator, negative values are south of it. Legal values lie between -90 and 90, inclusive.
Longitude End		The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in Geodetic Datum) of the geographic end position of the location where the specimen was collected. Positive values are east of the Greenwich Meridian, negative values are west of it. Legal values lie between -180 and 180, inclusive.
Geodetic Datum	geodeticDatum	The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in Latitude, Latitude End, Longitude and Longitude End are based.
Data Generalisations	dataGeneralizations	Actions taken to make the shared data less specific or complete than in its original form.
Capture Depth	verbatimDepth	The original description of the depth or depth range below the local surface at which specimen was collected.
Depth Start		Minimum capture depth below local surface at which specimen was collected.
Depth End		Maximum capture depth below local surface at which specimen was collected.
Elevation	verbatimElevation	The original description of the elevation (altitude, usually above sea level) of the Location.
Record Number	recordNumber	An identifier given to the specimen at the time it was recorded. Often serves as a link between field notes and a specimen record, such as a specimen collector’s number.
Field Number	fieldNumber	An identifier given to the specimen in the field. Often serves as a link between field notes and the specimen record.
Station		An identifier given to the specimen in the field when taken in the ocean. Often serves as a link between field notes and the specimen record.
Event Remarks	eventRemarks	Comments or notes about the specimen collection event.
Taxonomy fields
Kingdom	kingdom	The name of the kingdom in which the specimen is classified.
Phylum	phylum	The name of the phylum or division in which the specimen is classified.
Subphylum		The name of the subphylum (subdivision of phylum) in which the specimen is classified.
Infraphylum		The name of the infraphylum (informal rank below subphylum) in which the specimen is classified.
Parvphylum		The name of the parvphylum (informal rank below infraphylum) in which the specimen is classified.
Gigaclass		The name of the gigaclass (informal rank above megaclass) in which the specimen is classified.
Megaclass		The name of the megaclass (informal rank above superclass) in which the specimen is classified.
Superclass		The name of the superclass (informal rank above class) in which the specimen is classified.
Class	class	The name of the class in which the specimen is classified.
Subclass		The name of the subclass (rank below class) in which the specimen is classified.
Infraclass		The name of the infraclass (rank below subclass) in which the specimen is classified.
Subterclass		The name of the subterclass (rank below infraclass) in which the specimen is classified.
Superorder		The name of the superorder (rank above order) in which the specimen is classified.
Order	order	The name of the order in which the specimen is classified.
Suborder		The name of the suborder (rank below order) in which the specimen is classified.
Infraorder		The name of the infraorder (rank below suborder) in which the specimen is classified.
Parvorder		The name of the parvorder (rank below infraorder) in which the specimen is classified.
Nanorder		The name of the nanorder (rank below parvorder) in which the specimen is classified.
Section Zoology		The name of the section (informal rank in zoology) in which the specimen is classified.
Superfamily		The name of the superfamily (rank superordinate to family or above epifamily) in which the specimen is classified.
Epifamily		The name of the epifamily (informal rank above family) in which the specimen is classified. This rank is sometimes used in arthropod classfication.
Family	family	The name of the family in which the specimen is classified.
Subfamily	subfamily	The name of the subfamily in which the specimen is classified.
Supertribe		The name of the supertribe (rank above tribe) in which the specimen is classified.
Tribe	tribe	The name of the tribe in which the specimen is classified.
Subtribe	subtribe	The name of the subtribe in which the specimen is classified.
Genus	genus	The name of the genus in which the specimen is classified.
Subgenus	infragenericEpiphet	The infrageneric part of a binomial name at ranks above species but below genus.
Section		The name of the section in which the specimen is classified. Primarily used in the classification of plants.
Subsection		The name of the subsection in which the specimen is classified. Primarily used in the classification of plants.
Species	specificEpiphet	The name of the first or species epithet of the specimen scientific name.
Subspecies	infraspecificEpiphet	The name of the lowest or terminal infraspecific epithet of the specimen scientific name, excluding any rank designation.