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Connect Paleobiology Database to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Turn your AI agent into a professional paleontological researcher.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 27 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 07

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 01

    Autocomplete combined

    Provides auto-completion for various record types including taxa, strata, intervals, and people.

  2. 02

    Get occurrence

    Retrieves detailed information regarding a single fossil occurrence.

  3. 03

    Get occurrences taxa

    Returns the taxonomic hierarchy for a specific set of selected occurrences.

  4. 04

    List collections

    Filters and lists fossil collections based on your criteria.

Capability set02 / 07

05-08

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 05

    List intervals

    Provides a list of geological time intervals, such as the Cretaceous.

  2. 06

    List specimens

    Returns a list of specimens that match your specified filters.

  3. 07

    Get specimen

    Fetches data for a specific individual specimen.

  4. 08

    Get taxon

    Retrieves information about a specific taxonomic name.

Capability set03 / 07

09-12

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 09

    List opinions

    Lists taxonomic opinions based on your provided filters.

  2. 10

    List references

    Returns a list of bibliographic references matching your search.

  3. 11

    List specimen measurements

    Lists all measurements recorded for specific specimens.

  4. 12

    List strata

    Lists geological strata including formations, groups, and members.

Capability set04 / 07

13-16

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 13

    List taxa

    Lists taxa, including their children or parent groups.

  2. 14

    List timescales

    Provides a list of all available geological timescales.

  3. 15

    Match reference

    Checks the PBDB database for a matching bibliographic reference.

  4. 16

    Get collections summary

    Generates a geographic summary of collections through clustering.

Capability set05 / 07

17-20

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 17

    Get config

    Returns database configuration details like ranks, continents, and environments.

  2. 18

    Get occurrences diversity

    Performs a full computation to tabulate fossil diversity over time.

  3. 19

    Get occurrences geosum

    Summarizes occurrences into specific geographic clusters.

  4. 20

    Get occurrences prevalence

    Identifies the most prevalent taxa within a selected set of occurrences.

Capability set06 / 07

21-24

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 21

    Get occurrences quickdiv

    Provides a quick tabulation of fossil diversity over time.

  2. 22

    Get opinion

    Retrieves information about a single taxonomic opinion.

  3. 23

    Get reference

    Fetches information about a single bibliographic reference.

  4. 24

    List occurrences

    Lists fossil occurrences using your specified filters.

Capability set07 / 07

25-27

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 27 available through Paleobiology Database.

  1. 25

    Autocomplete strata

    Provides auto-completion specifically for strata names.

  2. 26

    Autocomplete taxa

    Provides auto-completion specifically for taxonomic names.

  3. 27

    Get collection

    Retrieves information about a specific fossil collection.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

Evolutionary Trend Analysis

Use the agent to track how specific taxa changed in diversity from the Triassic through the Cretaceous.

02

Site Locality Research

Identify high-density fossil beds by clustering occurrence data in specific geographic regions.

03

Literature Verification

Cross-reference specific fossil finds with existing bibliographic references in the PBDB.

04

Taxonomic Auditing

Explore the relationship between species and their parents or synonyms within the taxonomic tree.

Automate a task

Put Paleobiology Database to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

Paleobiology Database works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put Paleobiology Database to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

1172ms average. Fast in production.

Paleobiology Database is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1352ms
Oct 3Today
Fastest day
995ms
Slowest day
1352ms
14-day trend
Stable-1%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 27 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of Paleobiology Database, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with Paleobiology Database. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

Paleobiology Database Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_LMsuNJagRnlZ0WZkj1f9bs5AIS0QnltioKnEzw67/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Paleobiology Database capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paleobiology-database-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_LMsuNJagRnlZ0WZkj1f9bs5AIS0QnltioKnEzw67/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up Paleobiology Database in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work Paleobiology Database owners hand off.

This MCP is built for professionals and students working with paleontological and geological data.

  • 01

    Researchers

    They hand off the task of pulling occurrence data and diversity metrics for papers.

  • 02

    Students

    They use the agent to explore evolutionary history and fossil distributions.

  • 03

    Science Enthusiasts

    They query professional-grade data to satisfy curiosity about prehistoric life.

FAQ

Questions Paleobiology Database owners ask.

  • 01

    How do I use this MCP with my AI client?

    You subscribe to the MCP through Vinkius and then connect your client, such as Claude or Cursor, in one click. Vinkius handles the hosting and credentials for you.

  • 02

    Do I need a PBDB API key?

    It is optional. You can use the MCP without one, but entering your own PBDB API key allows for higher rate limits.

  • 03

    Can I perform complex diversity calculations?

    Yes. The MCP includes capabilities to tabulate fossil diversity over time and perform quick diversity tabulations.

  • 04

    What kind of geological data is available?

    You can access information on time scales, strata, and specific geological intervals like the Jurassic or Cretaceous.

  • 05

    Can I find specific fossil specimens?

    Yes. You can use capabilities to list specimens or get detailed information about a single specimen based on your filters.

  • 06

    Can I search for fossils within a specific geological time period like the Cretaceous?

    Yes! Use the list_occurrences capability and provide the period name in the interval parameter. The agent will return all recorded fossil occurrences from that specific time block.

  • 07

    How do I analyze the diversity of a specific group of animals over time?

    You can use the get_occurrences_diversity or get_occurrences_quickdiv capabilities. By providing a base_name (like 'Trilobita'), the agent will generate a tabulation of how many different taxa existed across different geological intervals.

  • 08

    Can I find fossil collections based on geographic coordinates?

    Absolutely. The list_collections and list_occurrences capabilities allow you to specify a bounding box using lngmin, lngmax, latmin, and latmax to find all records within a specific map area.

Explore

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