Every fact, sourced.

PaleoDex exists to make the real fossil record fun — which only works if it's actually real. Every genus, classification, date, and image is drawn from open scientific databases. This page shows exactly where the data comes from, what the numbers are, and the one rule we never break.

The numbers

Measured from the PaleoDex catalogue. Exact counts are exact; estimates are rounded down and marked "over."

Where the data comes from

Each source keeps its own license and attribution; PaleoDex credits them all in the app's Data Sources screen and links back to them from every dossier.

How it fits together

PaleoDex continuously pulls from these sources, cross-references them, and enriches each genus with whatever is properly attributable — a photo here, a classification there, an extinct-or-living flag from GBIF. Because the pipeline keeps adding coverage, the catalogue only grows, and "over X" figures stay true.

Licensing & attribution

The underlying data and media remain the property of their original creators and providers, under their respective open licenses (for example, Wikipedia text under CC BY-SA and PhyloPic silhouettes under CC0 / CC-BY). PaleoDex presents and links to them; it does not claim ownership of the science.

Questions about the data

Is the data in PaleoDex real?

Yes. Every genus in PaleoDex is a real, scientifically documented taxon drawn from open paleontology and biodiversity databases. Nothing is invented — that honesty is the whole point of the project.

Where do the numbers come from?

The catalogue counts are measured directly from the PaleoDex database, which is built on the sources listed above. Exact figures (like 74,372 genera or 12,507 quick-facts) are counted; where a number is an estimate, we round down and say "over X."

What happens when a fact is missing?

We leave it blank. PaleoDex never fills a gap with a guess or with AI-generated text. A missing field simply isn't shown — so anything you do see is sourced.

Can I cite PaleoDex for research?

Think of PaleoDex as a gateway to primary sources: each dossier links back to where its data and images came from. For academic work, cite those original sources (for example the Paleobiology Database or the relevant Wikipedia/Wikimedia entry).

Do these numbers change?

Yes — they grow. Coverage increases as the data pipeline enriches more genera with photos and write-ups, so "over X" phrasing stays accurate over time.