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Recording Measurements
The Measurements section records the physical dimensions of a specimen.
Measurements provide objective, repeatable information describing a specimen's size, proportions and morphology. They complement photographs, notes and taxonomic identification, allowing specimens to be compared consistently across the collection.
Fossil Tracker supports two complementary approaches:
- General measurements for recording any measurable characteristic.
- Taxon-specific measurement pages for fossil groups that have recognised standard morphometric measurements.
The Measurements page allows any number of measurements to be recorded against a specimen.
Each measurement consists of:
- a predefined measurement type
- a numerical value
The unit is determined automatically by the selected measurement type.
For example:
| Measurement | Unit |
|---|---|
| Length | mm |
| Width | mm |
| Height | mm |
| Diameter | mm |
| Weight | g |
Additional measurement types can be created through the Reference Data → Measurement Types page.
Some fossil groups have widely accepted measurement standards used throughout the palaeontological literature.
For these groups, Fossil Tracker provides dedicated measurement pages that guide the recording process and automatically calculate commonly used morphometric values.
These pages complement, rather than replace, the general Measurements page.
The Ammonite Measurements page provides:
- An illustrated measurement guide
- Shell diameter
- Umbilical diameter
- Whorl height
- Whorl width
From these measurements Fossil Tracker automatically calculates:
- Umbilical Ratio (U/D)
- Relative Whorl Height (Wh/D)
- Relative Whorl Width (Ww/D)
- Whorl Shape Ratio (Ww/Wh)
The Orthocone Measurements page provides:
- Shell length
- Maximum diameter
- Minimum diameter
- Visible chamber count
- Average chamber spacing
- Siphuncle position
- Siphuncle diameter
It also calculates:
- Expansion angle
- Taper rate
- Chambers per centimetre
Each taxon-specific page includes an illustrated measurement guide showing where each measurement should be taken.
These guides are intended as practical reference material while examining specimens and help ensure measurements are recorded consistently.
Because the guides are integrated directly into the recording page, there is no need to consult external diagrams or reference books during data entry.
Many palaeontological descriptions use ratios or calculated values rather than raw dimensions.
Fossil Tracker calculates these automatically wherever possible.
Automatic calculation provides several benefits:
- eliminates repetitive manual calculation
- reduces transcription errors
- ensures consistency between specimens
- records commonly used morphometric values in a reproducible manner
The original measurements remain editable, with derived values updating automatically whenever the measurements change.
The panel at the top of the Measurements page lists all measurements currently recorded for the specimen.
If no measurements have been recorded, the page displays:
No measurements recorded for this specimen.
Each measurement is stored as an individual record.
Select the appropriate Measurement Type, enter the measured value and choose Add Measurement.
Only the numerical value is entered, as the unit is defined automatically by the selected measurement type.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Specimen | The specimen being measured. |
| Measurement Type | The predefined measurement to record. |
| Value | Numerical measurement value using the predefined unit. |
| Add Measurement | Saves the measurement against the specimen. |
- Measure specimens using appropriate equipment.
- Record measurements using consistent techniques.
- Use taxon-specific measurement pages where available.
- Record measurements to an appropriate level of precision.
- Avoid creating duplicate measurement types with different names.
- Re-measure specimens if preparation or conservation alters the specimen.
Measurements provide objective data that complements photographs, notes and descriptive observations.
Consistently recorded measurements allow specimens to be:
- compared objectively
- searched by physical dimensions
- described using recognised morphometric standards
- monitored following preparation or conservation
- used to support taxonomic identification
The addition of taxon-specific measurement pages extends this approach by embedding recognised palaeontological measurement standards directly into Fossil Tracker, helping users collect consistent, reproducible data while documenting their specimens.