Specimen Completeness Percentage
Distinguish observed anatomical inventory coverage from preservation-weighted element equivalents on caller expectations; neither index certifies taxonomic identification or skeleton completeness.
Description
Inventory completeness and preserved-element equivalents represent different measures.
Inventory completeness and preserved-element equivalents represent different measures. Partial preservation reduces equivalents without reducing the observed element count.
Distinguish observed anatomical inventory coverage from preservation-weighted element equivalents on caller expectations; neither index certifies taxonomic identification or skeleton completeness.
When to use Specimen Completeness Percentage
Use this tool to distinguish observed anatomical inventory coverage from preservation-weighted element equivalents on caller expectations; neither index certifies taxonomic identification or skeleton completeness.
Prepare the fossil measurements or occurrence records and the chosen calibration parameters. Retain the stated coordinate, age and measurement conventions.
How to use Specimen Completeness Percentage and understand its results
- Prepare the fossil measurements or occurrence records and the chosen calibration parameters. Retain the stated coordinate, age and measurement conventions.
- Enter expectedElementCounts, observedElementCounts, preservedFractionsOfObservedElements using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
- Read rawExpectedElementCompletenessPercent, preservedElementEquivalentCompletenessPercent. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
- If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type; see rules below | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| expectedElementCounts | Expected element counts | list of number | Required |
| observedElementCounts | Observed element counts | list of number | Required |
| preservedFractionsOfObservedElements | Preserved fractions of observed elements | list of number | Required |
Align positive integer expected counts, observed counts no greater than expected and preservation fractions in [0,1]. Return raw expected-inventory and preservation-weighted percentages.1
Paired lists must be nonempty and have equal lengths.
equivalent percent = 100 × Σ observed × preserved fraction/Σ expected Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| rawExpectedElementCompletenessPercent | Raw expected element completeness percent | number |
| preservedElementEquivalentCompletenessPercent | Preserved element equivalent completeness percent | number |
{
"input": {
"expectedElementCounts": [
2,
4,
1
],
"observedElementCounts": [
1,
4,
0
],
"preservedFractionsOfObservedElements": [
1,
0.5,
0
]
},
"output": {
"rawExpectedElementCompletenessPercent": 71.42857142857143,
"preservedElementEquivalentCompletenessPercent": 42.857142857142854
}
}Limitations and assumptions
Neither index certifies identification or true skeleton completeness.
Numbers and computed results must be finite; overflow produces an error. Numeric lists are limited to 100,000 entries; the rules above may require smaller limits. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use Minimum Animal Units MAU: Normalize independently established MNE by skeletal element copies and maximum MAU; fractional animal units are representational indexes, unlike ceiling-based MNI individual bounds. For a complementary task, use Articulation Index Skeleton: Compute observed articulation fraction over assessable expected joints and extreme bounds for unassessable opportunities; denominator is joint opportunities, not surviving bones.
References
-
Specimen Completeness Percentage — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Minimum Animal Units MAU
Normalize independently established MNE by skeletal element copies and maximum MAU; fractional animal units are representational indexes, unlike ceiling-based MNI individual bounds.
- Articulation Index Skeleton
Compute observed articulation fraction over assessable expected joints and extreme bounds for unassessable opportunities; denominator is joint opportunities, not surviving bones.