Life science

Paleobiology Database

Fossil occurrences, taxa, collections and diversity through geological time.

GlobalCommunity server

Ask Paleobiology Database a question

Your question is answered first thing in your new workspace, with Paleobiology Database already connected. Free account, about a minute.

Free plan included. No API key needed.

About Paleobiology Database

Search fossil occurrences and collections by taxon, interval and place, get taxon details and diversity curves, and list geological intervals. Built by the palaeontology community.

Questions you can ask Paleobiology Database

Type them into Kahubi’s chat once Paleobiology Database is connected.

“Where have Cambrian trilobite fossils been found in Scandinavia?”

What comes back: Fossil occurrences with taxon, geological interval, formation and coordinates.

“Show the diversity of ammonite genera through the Jurassic.”

What comes back: A diversity curve by geological interval with the counts behind it.

Paleobiology Database MCP tools

The 8 tools the Paleobiology Database server offers to Kahubi. The assistant picks the right one for each question.

  • paleobiology_search_occurrences

    Search fossil occurrences by clade-inclusive base_name or base_id, exact taxon_name, interval or max_ma/min_ma, modern geographic bounds, country, formation, environment, or col...

  • paleobiology_get_taxon

    Resolve a taxon by name (e.g.

  • paleobiology_get_diversity

    Compute a diversity / origination / extinction curve for a clade across geologic time, binned by period, epoch, or age - answers "plot dinosaur genus diversity across the Mesozo...

  • paleobiology_list_intervals

    Look up the geologic time scale - eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages with their absolute-age boundaries in millions of years (Ma) and nesting.

  • paleobiology_search_collections

    Find fossil collections (localities) by area and geologic time - "what has been dug up here, and from what rock." Each locality returns its location, age (named interval and Ma)...

  • paleobiology_get_references

    Resolve PBDB reference_no values - the source publication on every paleobiology_search_occurrences and paleobiology_search_collections row - to full citations with authors, year...

  • paleobiology_dataframe_query

    Run a read-only SQL SELECT against occurrence result sets staged on a DataCanvas by paleobiology_search_occurrences.

  • paleobiology_dataframe_describe

    List the tables and their columns staged on a DataCanvas by paleobiology_search_occurrences.

Using Paleobiology Database in Kahubi

  • Community server. An open-source server maintained by the MCP community. Kahubi tests it with live queries before listing it and health-checks it regularly.
  • Cited, checkable answers. Results are treated as retrieved material and cited with the source’s own identifiers, so you can open every record the answer relied on.
  • Your files stay private. Only the search the assistant writes for your question is sent to Paleobiology Database.

More life science sources

All 15 life science sources All data sources

Ask Paleobiology Database your next research question

Connect Paleobiology Database in one click and get answers that cite their records, next to your own library and drafts. Free to start.