ParseForge
Paleobiology Database Fossils Scraper
parseforge/paleobiology-fossils-scraper
Developer toolsOtherAutomation
Scrapes fossil occurrence records from the Paleobiology Database by taxon, with optional filters for geologic interval and country. Returns each fossil as a flat row with taxonomic, geological, and location data.
- Total users
- 2
- Monthly active
- 1
- Total runs
- 86
- Bookmarked
- 0
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 12 days ago
Overview
Paleobiology Database Fossils Scraper
Scrape fossil occurrence records from the Paleobiology Database by taxon, geologic interval, and country. Each record includes taxonomic classification, geological age, and location data. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
The Paleobiology Database is a public resource of fossil occurrences, but querying it manually is slow and the API requires technical setup. This Actor searches by taxonomic name and returns every fossil occurrence for that taxon and its descendants, with optional filters for geologic interval and country. Each result is a flat row ready for analysis.
| Who uses it | What they scrape Paleobiology Database for |
|---|---|
| Paleontologists | Compile occurrence datasets for a specific taxon to study its distribution over time. |
| Evolutionary biologists | Gather fossil records across a clade to analyze patterns of diversification. |
| Geologists | Collect fossil data by geologic interval to correlate strata or date formations. |
| Data scientists | Build machine learning datasets of fossil occurrences for predictive modeling. |
| Educators | Create teaching datasets of fossil examples for a particular group or period. |
What it does
This Actor collects fossil occurrence records from the Paleobiology Database for a given taxon and returns each one as a flat row with taxonomic, geological, and location data.
- 🔍 Hierarchical taxon search: Enter a genus, family, or class name and get all occurrences beneath it.
- ⏳ Geologic interval filter: Restrict results to a period, epoch, or age like Cretaceous or Maastrichtian.
- 🌍 Country filter: Limit fossils to one of 22 countries, from the United States to China.
- 📊 Flat row output: Each fossil occurrence is returned as a single record with consistent fields.
- 📦 Flexible export: Download results as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML for further analysis.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with Paleobiology Database data
📈 Track fossil diversity over time.
A paleontologist scrapes all occurrences of a family like Canidae and filters by geologic interval to see how diversity changed across epochs.
🗺️ Map species distribution.
A biogeographer collects all fossils of a genus like Tyrannosaurus and filters by country to map its geographic range.
🧪 Build a training dataset.
A data scientist scrapes thousands of fossil records for a machine learning model that predicts extinction risk from occurrence patterns.
🏫 Create teaching materials.
An educator gathers a curated set of fossil examples from a specific period and country for a classroom exercise.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No API setup | The Actor queries the public database directly, so you don't need an API key or registration. |
| Hierarchical queries | Search for a genus or family and automatically include all descendant taxa. |
| Geologic precision | Filter by named intervals like Jurassic or Miocene to focus on a specific time slice. |
| Clean data | Each record is returned as a flat row with consistent fields, ready for spreadsheets or databases. |
How it compares
This Actor and the competitor both scrape the Paleobiology Database, but this Actor offers hierarchical taxon search and optional filters for geologic interval and country.
| Feature | ParseForge | Paleobiology Database Scraper - Fossil Data |
|---|---|---|
| Hierarchical taxon search | Yes | Not listed |
| Geologic interval filter | Yes | Not listed |
| Country filter | Yes | Not listed |
| Maximum records setting | Yes | Not listed |
| Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, XML | Yes | Not listed |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor with a taxon name, and optionally narrow results by geologic interval and country. Filters are applied as records are read, so only matching fossils reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"baseName": "Tyrannosaurus",
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"baseName": "Tyrannosaurus",
"maxItems": 200
}
Pricing
Pay-per-result: $0.008 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.
| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.80 |
| 1,000 results | $8.00 |
| 10,000 results | $80.00 |
New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.
Free users
Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.
Run it
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the Paleobiology Database Fossils Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.
Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.
Use with AI agents (MCP)
Give an AI agent live access to Paleobiology Database through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/paleobiology-fossils-scraper"
Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.
Troubleshooting
Why am I getting no results?
Check the taxon name for typos and try a broader taxon. Also, if you set filters, remove them to see if any records exist without filters.
Why are my results limited to 10 records?
The default 'Maximum fossils' is 10. Increase this number in the input to get more records, up to 1,000,000.
Why do I get an error when I enter a geologic interval?
Make sure the interval name is spelled correctly and is a recognized period, epoch, or age, such as 'Cretaceous' or 'Maastrichtian'.
Why are some fields empty in my results?
Not all fossil records have complete information. Missing data may appear as empty fields depending on what the database provides.
Can I combine filters?
Yes, you can set both geologic interval and country filters together to narrow results further.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the Paleobiology Database? | The Paleobiology Database is a public, community-curated database of fossil occurrences, providing taxonomic, geological, and location information for fossils worldwide. |
| How does the taxon search work? | Enter a taxonomic name like 'Tyrannosaurus' or 'Mammalia'. The Actor returns all fossil occurrences for that taxon and everything below it in the taxonomic tree. |
| Can I filter by geologic time? | Yes, use the optional 'Geologic interval' field to restrict results to a named interval such as 'Cretaceous' or 'Miocene'. |
| Can I filter by country? | Yes, select a country from the dropdown to limit results to fossils found in that country. You can combine country and interval filters. |
| What is the maximum number of records I can get? | You can set 'Maximum fossils' up to 1,000,000 per run. The default is 10. |
| What format is the output? | Each fossil occurrence is returned as a flat row with fields like taxon name, rank, geological age, country, and coordinates. You can export as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. |
| Do I need an API key? | No, the Actor accesses the public database directly, so no registration or API key is required. |
| Is the data up to date? | The Actor queries the live Paleobiology Database, so you get the most current records available. |
| Can I search for a species? | Yes, you can enter any taxonomic name, including species, genus, family, or higher taxa. The search is hierarchical. |
| What if my taxon has no results? | Check the spelling and try a broader taxon. Some taxa may have no recorded occurrences in the database. |
Related actors
Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.
🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.
⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Paleobiology Database. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.
Input
| Field | Type | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| baseName | string | Taxonomic name to search. Returns all fossil occurrences for this taxon and everything below it in the tree (e.g. 'Tyrannosaurus', 'Canis', 'Trilobita', 'Mammalia'). Defaults to Tyrannosaurus (>=5 occurrences). | Tyrannosaurus |
| maxItems | integer | Maximum number of fossil records to collect per run. | 10 |
| interval | string | Optional. Restrict results to a named geologic time interval such as a period, epoch or age (e.g. 'Cretaceous', 'Maastrichtian', 'Jurassic', 'Miocene'). Leave empty to return all ages. | not set |
| country | string (22 options) | Optional. Restrict results to fossils found in one country. | not set |
Pricing
from $6.00 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.006 to $0.008 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~paleobiology-fossils-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"helloWorld": 123
}' Examples
Input that runs as-is.
{
"helloWorld": 123
} Reviews
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Issues
We build and maintain this scraper, so a problem with it comes to us. Report it on the Apify listing and the thread stays attached to the scraper where the next person can find it: open an issue.
Broken and urgent, or you would rather not post in public? Write to parseforge@protonmail.com and it reaches the people who wrote it.
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