# The Marsupial Database: A comprehensive dataset on the ecology and life history of American and Australasian marsupials

## TL;DR

The Marsupial Database is a comprehensive dataset that compiles ecological and life history traits of marsupials to support comparative studies.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a new, open-access database of marsupial traits to address their underrepresentation in ecological and evolutionary analyses.

## Key findings

- The database includes 11,054 records of 35 traits across 414 marsupial species.
- It covers all seven modern marsupial orders and includes data from 34 countries.
- The dataset is freely available and encourages inclusion of marsupials in broader comparative studies.

## Abstract

Marsupials are an important but typically neglected group of mammals that have been overlooked in many comparative analyses of vertebrate ecology and life history evolution. In order to address this knowledge bias, we have developed The Marsupial Database. The Marsupial Database contains traits for a phylogenetically diverse set of 414 extant and recently extinct (last 200 years) species from all seven modern marsupial orders (Dasyuromorphia, Didelphimorphia, Diprotodontia, Microbiotheria, Notoryctemorphia, Paucituberculata, Peramelemorphia) native to 34 countries in the Americas and Australasia. The database comprises 11,054 records of 35 traits describing anatomical, physiological, phenological, and reproductive characteristics, as well as information on species' ecology and current conservation status. Data were collected from 41 sources, comprising published databases and other relevant sources of information. By providing a centralized repository of marsupial ecological and life history traits, The Marsupial Database facilitates analyses of ecological and evolutionary patterns within the group, and also encourages inclusion of marsupials in comparative studies of mammals, vertebrates, and the entire animal kingdom. The Marsupial Database is free from copyright or proprietary restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications or scientific presentations.