12,037 Limpet Shell Images and Morphometrics from Alaska to Baja California

Sara S. Kahanamoku from UC Berkeley provides an image and 2D shape library of 12,037 patellogastropod limpet shells. The dataset includes individual shell images, outline coordinates, and morphometric measurements like major axis length and eccentricity. Specimens were collected from 353 localities along a northeastern Pacific latitudinal gradient from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico.

Use Cases

• Train computer vision models for species identification based on the 12,037 individual extended-depth-of-focus (EDF) images.
• Analyze shell shape variation across a latitudinal gradient using the provided 2D outline coordinate data.
• Calculate morphometric relationships for ecological studies using measurements like major axis length, perimeter, and rugosity.
• Generate 3D height maps for morphological analysis from the provided image stacks (zstacks.zip).

Strengths

• Contains 12,037 individual shell specimens, providing a substantial sample size for analysis.
• Includes multiple data types: 1,257 full-lot overview images, individual EDF images, 2D outlines, coordinate files, and a master measurements CSV.
• Spatial coverage is extensive, with samples from 353 unique localities spanning from Alaska to Baja California.
• Morphometric data is detailed, including measurements like major/minor axis length, perimeter, eccentricity, and rugosity.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Locality coordinates are rounded to the nearest 0.1 degree, which may limit precise geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) sample lots, processed using AutoMorph software from Yale University.

Collection Method

Macroscopic high-throughput imaging and automated morphometric analysis (AutoMorph).

Time Range

Recent (timeframe not specified in input).

Geography

Northeastern Pacific coast, from Cape Yakataga, Alaska, USA (60°06’11N) to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico (22°89’56N).