DOI: 10.5061/dryad.547d7wmjm
title: Devonian stromatoporoid dataset of the Natural History Museum, London (UK)

description: Devonian stromatoporoid collections in the Natural History Museum, London
 (UK) have been deposited for over 100 years. The characteristics and
 systematic position of these specimens, however, have received little
 attention. In this study, a total of 297 Devonian stromatoporoid specimens
 comprising material documented by Nicholson (1886a–1892) from the UK,
 Germany, United States, and Canada, plus specimens described by Ripper
 (1933, 1937a, b, c) from Australia, were re-examined. Overall, 50 species
 belonging to 29 genera were systematically redescribed based on recent
 progress, mainly including Actinostroma, Petridiostroma, Stictostroma,
 Pseudotrupetostroma, and Parallelopora. Three-dimensional reconstructions
 follow the earlier works of Stearn (1966) and Cockbain (1984). The
 reconstructed skeletons reveal stromatoporoid architectural patterns,
 crucial for enhancing understanding and revision of stromatoporoid
 identification. This study underscores the significance of
 three-dimensional reconstruction in taxonomic research on stromatoporoids.
 The NHMUK material is combined with data from publications and the
 Paleobiology Database (PBDB) to perform a network analysis of the global
 occurrence of Devonian stromatoporoids at the generic level; this reveals
 a close relationship of the global stromatoporoid fauna during the Early
 Devonian, indicating a widespread distribution, despite this interval
 being regarded as a time of global stromatoporoid contraction. The Middle
 Devonian assemblage shows a much higher cosmopolitan occurrence in the
 context of the subsequent Eifelian-Givetian global stromatoporoid
 proliferation, consistent with the known pattern from other studies of
 Middle Devonian stromatoporoids. Overall, the NHMUK collections are a
 valuable resource to help understand the global occurrence of Devonian
 stromatoporoids.
description: # Devonian stromatoporoid dataset of the Natural History Museum, London
 (UK)
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wmjm](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wmjm) ## Description of the data and file structure All the data were collected from global references and specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum, London (UK). ### Files and variables #### File: Supplementary_Data_Set_1.xlsx **Description:** This file contains taxonomic list of Devonian stromatoporoids stored in the Natural History Museum, London (UK). Name, age, number, and location are included. ##### Variables * NHM: Natural History Museum, London (UK). * n/a: data unavailable or no data. #### File: Supplementary_Data_Set_2.xls **Description:** This file contains the global distribution of Early and Middle Devonian stromatoporoids in different continents (areas). ##### Variables * "X" and "O" represent the occurrence of stromatoporoid genera in certain continents (areas). * n/a: data unavailable or no data. * Note: Entries in yellow highlight are the NHMUK collections taxa and illustrated in this study. ### Version changes 02-Sep-2025: 12 repetitive specimens in Supplementary_Data_Set_1 are deleted, including NHM PI P4463, P5874, P5878, P5937, P5949, P6094, H3901, H3902, H3903, H3907, H3921, H3925. ###