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Using the Neotoma Paleoecology Database to Explore Quaternary Vertebrate Data

Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

This workshop introduces participants to the Neotoma Paleoecology Database and how it can be used to explore species and community patterns across time and space. We will focus on developing participant ability to use the 'neotoma2' R package to download, explore, and analyze data from the Neotoma database. By the end of the workshop, participants will understand the following:

  1. The kinds of data that Neotoma stores and the strengths of the database;
  2. How to integrate Neotoma into their own research;
  3. How to get data out of the database;
  4. How to use the R package to examine data from a single site (e.g., community change through time);
  5. How to use the R package to examine data across sites (e.g., develop a simple range map for a species).

The organizers will provide public access to all workshop materials during the course of the workshop, which will remain available following the workshop. All participants should bring their own laptop computers or other device capable of running the R programming environment. It is helpful if you have installed the freely available R and RStudio programs onto your computers in advance of the workshop. This workshop will be most useful to participants who have some knowledge of how to use R for analyses. Organizers will provide coffee for breaks, but participants should plan on bringing or purchasing their own lunch.

Venue: Huntington Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Accessibility: Will be held in ADA-compliant venue with audio/visual support. The workshop will be interactivea and computer-based and aims to be accessible to everyone. All instructions will be given both orally and on the screen at the front of the room so that participants can implement the workshop on their own personal computers. Participants can also follow/read from the written workshop ‘script’ on their own devices.

Organizers: Jessica Blois; Melissa Pardi

Cost per person: $55

Minimum and maximum number of participants: 25-40

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