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Been a while. Did a few searches and didn't see this already posted. The Paleobiology Database is relatively new, but it is proving to be indispensable as a go-to site for everything fossil. It is an international database and far more useful than MINDAT. This site is likely a bit advanced for the average user, (can be a bit difficult to navigate), but for the pros and semi-pros, it is a goldmine. An account is required. Non professionals can create a guest account. Professionals and Avocational folks can upgrade for free by connecting to your institution and using your ORCID The excellent interactive map mode makes it easy to find research papers by site.

I've been completing a "working paper" on some significant new finds that add some new understanding about the "upland" flora of the Lower Pennsylvanian. I'll be sending what I have to some people like Dr. Bill DiMichele and others to get feedback and determine next steps. But I had a few questions that I'd like some help with: 1. What kind of embargo on information about a working paper is typical. Do I run into issues for it to get published if I share the working paper widely? Should I avoid sharing information about it on the Fossil Forum? 2. Does the location need to be fully revealed? If there is desire by the landowners to keep the location undisclosed, what would one do? Could the location be fully described, but have specific coordiates only available upon request? 3. I do understand that the main specimens being researched in the paper must be housed in a public museum. If there are secondary items being described to understand the setting, do they also need to be public? And, if you do a census (relative abundance of different species) of a location, do all items included in that census need to be housed publicly? 4. What is the process typically used to determine relative abundance of different plant species in a location?