The overall aim of this globally based project is to appraise all known records of preserved biotas in Ordovician rocks, as a basis for a comprehensive evaluation of the manner in which the greatest diversification of marine life on Earth took place (about 450 million years ago). As part of the data collection process, a web-based relational database has been established for the input of biotal data (species level and above) as well as related geographical, stratigraphical and environmental information.