The Paleobiology Database is a public database of paleontological data that anyone can use, maintained by an international non-governmental group of paleontologists. Its purpose is to provide global, collection‐based occurrence and taxonomic data for organisms of all geological ages. Paleobiology Database's broader goal is to encourage and enable data‐driven collaborative efforts that address large‐scale paleobiological and biological questions. Fossil occurrences from scientific publications are added to the database by contributing members. The Paleobiology Database originated in the NCEAS-funded Phanerozoic Marine Paleofaunal Database initiative, which operated from August 1998 through August 2000.