The Human Fossil Record:
A Digital Resource for Research and Education

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Welcome to the archive

This archive contains digital data in various forms (e.g., digital photographs, 3D surface models, microtomographic scans) that are derived from fossil and extant primate bones and teeth. All data is produced through collaborations with the curatorial institutions that house the skeletal remains.

Publicly available collections are visible on the left side under 'Collections', but to view all the digital data associated with them please create a new account by clicking 'Register' in the Identification panel.

Specimens represented in the archive are associated with accession names/numbers and information about their anatomy (e.g., what part of the skeleton or which tooth) and taxonomy (i.e., which species they belong to). While we provide this information and attempt to keep it up to date we take no responsibility for its accuracy and encourage users to contact the relevant curatorial institutions or engage with the relevant primary scientific literature. Digital images are provided with scales and surface models are also measurable (in some cases), however, measurements derived from any digital data from this archive should be used with caution and are not recommended for use in scientific publications. If you find errors in the archive please email Prof. Matthew Skinner (matthew_skinner@eva.mpg.de).

The archive also contains digital data associated with selected scientific publications. If you would like to discuss depositing data associated with a publication in the archive please email Prof. Matthew Skinner (matthew_skinner@eva.mpg.de).