Project 2490: M. A. O'Leary, K. Alphonse, M. Arce Hernandez, D. Cavaliere, A. Cirranello, T. Dietterich, M. Julius, S. Kaufman, E. Law, M. Passarotti, A. Reft, J. Robalino, N. B. Simmons, S. Smith, D. Stevenson, E. Theriot, P. M. Velazco, R. Walls, M. Yu, M. Daly. 2018. Crowds replicate performance of scientific experts scoring phylogenetic matrices of phenotypes. Systematic Biology. 67 (1):49-60.
Abstract
Scientists building the Tree of Life face an overwhelming challenge to categorize phenotypes (e.g., anatomy, physiology) from millions of living and fossil species. This biodiversity challenge far outstrips the capacities of trained scientific experts. Here we explore whether crowdsourcing can be used to collect matrix data on a large scale with the participation of the non-expert students, or “citizen scientists.” Crowdsourcing, or data collection by non-experts, frequently via the internet, has enabled scientists to tackle some large-scale data collection challenges too massive for individuals or scientific teams alone. The quality of work by non-expert crowds is, however, often questioned and little data has been collected on how such crowds perform on complex tasks such as phylogenetic character coding. We studied a crowd of over 600 non-experts, and found that they could use images to identify anatomical similarity (hypotheses of homology) with an average accuracy of 82% compared to scores provided by experts in the field. This performance pattern held across the Tree of Life, from protists to vertebrates. We introduce a procedure that predicts the difficulty of each character and that can be used to assign harder characters to experts and easier characters to a non-expert crowd for scoring. We test this procedure in a controlled experiment comparing crowd scores to those of experts and show that crowds can produce matrices with over 90% of cells scored correctly while reducing the number of cells to be scored by experts by 50%. Preparation time, including image collection and processing, for a crowdsourcing experiment is significant, and does not currently save time of scientific experts overall. However, if innovations in automation or robotics can reduce such effort, then large-scale implementation of our method could greatly increase the collective scientific knowledge of species phenotypes for phylogenetic tree building. For the field of crowdsourcing, we provide a rare study with ground truth, or an experimental control that many studies lack, and contribute new methods on how to coordinate the work of experts and non-experts. We show that there are important instances in which crowd consensus is not a good proxy for correctness.Read the article »
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syx052
Project DOI: 10.7934/P2490, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P2490
This project contains | Matrices |
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Download Project SDD File ![]() | Total scored cells: 103 Total media associated with cells: 106 Total labels associated with cell media: 1 |
Characters | |
Total characters: 8 Total characters with associated media: 3 Total characters with media with labels: 0 Total character states: 23 Total character states with associated media: 23 Total character states with media with labels:0 Total unordered/ordered characters:8/0 |
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 2490
MorphoBank Project 2490
- Creation Date:
05 July 2016 - Publication Date:
30 May 2017 - Project views: 46748
- Matrix downloads: 4
This research
supported by
Authors' Institutions
- Ohio State University
- Oregon State University
- University of Arizona
- University of Michigan
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Waterloo
- American Museum of Natural History
- Drexel University
- Kenx Technology Inc
- New York Botanical Garden
- St. Cloud State University
- Stony Brook University
- Whirl-i-gig
- College of William and Mary
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Members
member name | taxa ![]() |
specimens ![]() |
media ![]() | chars ![]() | character
| cell scorings (scored, NPA, "-") | cell
| rules ![]() | ||||||
Edward Theriot Project Administrator | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Matthew Julius Full membership ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Maureen O'Leary Full membership ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Anna Mengjie Yu Full membership ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M24106' (13 Taxa)
taxon | unscored cells |
scored cells ![]() |
no cell support ![]() |
NPA cells |
"-" cells | cell images | labels on cell images |
member access |
[1] Cyclotella atomus atomus Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | none |
[2] Cyclotella distinguenda Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[3] Cyclotella atomus marina Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[4] Cyclotella gamma Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[5] Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | none |
[6] Cyclotella cryptica Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | none |
[7] Cyclotella litoralis Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[8] Cyclotella cf. meneghiniana (l1263) Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[9] Cyclotella nana Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[10] Cyclotella quillensis Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[11] † Cyclotella undescribed miocene ect 765 Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[12] Cyclotella striata Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
[13] Cyclotella stylorum Last Modified in 07/05/16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | none |
Project views 
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 46748 | |
Project overview | 1223 | |
Matrix views | 717 | Matrix landing page (670 views); Cyclotella qualitative characters (47 views); |
Media views | 36894 | Media search (1963 views); M424498 (281 views); M424509 (289 views); M424547 (203 views); M424572 (183 views); M424488 (261 views); M424487 (239 views); M424502 (227 views); M424485 (224 views); M424541 (193 views); M424520 (200 views); M424562 (216 views); M424504 (240 views); M424529 (209 views); M424531 (215 views); M424567 (206 views); M424538 (201 views); M424500 (249 views); M424482 (214 views); M424511 (283 views); M424551 (222 views); M424478 (235 views); M424568 (214 views); M424609 (97 views); M424664 (95 views); M424586 (132 views); M424690 (107 views); M424651 (104 views); M424695 (101 views); M424614 (98 views); M424688 (138 views); M424640 (96 views); M424663 (101 views); M424677 (94 views); M424685 (121 views); M424655 (101 views); M424595 (99 views); M424696 (94 views); M424699 (97 views); M424604 (123 views); M424556 (214 views); M424607 (97 views); M424686 (102 views); M424659 (100 views); M424577 (191 views); M424544 (212 views); M424493 (237 views); M424570 (199 views); M424512 (248 views); M424650 (98 views); M424674 (97 views); M424611 (97 views); M424675 (113 views); M424693 (100 views); M424658 (104 views); M424592 (96 views); M424616 (94 views); M424589 (115 views); M424700 (107 views); M424631 (95 views); M424601 (121 views); M424641 (95 views); M424638 (94 views); M424625 (91 views); M424612 (104 views); M424662 (96 views); M424584 (94 views); M424669 (91 views); M424596 (121 views); M424665 (94 views); M424642 (101 views); M424639 (94 views); M424678 (96 views); M424585 (140 views); M424646 (106 views); M424626 (94 views); M424666 (114 views); M424661 (101 views); M424579 (122 views); M424636 (112 views); M424652 (100 views); M424682 (100 views); M424599 (93 views); M424657 (99 views); M424582 (97 views); M424583 (131 views); M424672 (89 views); M424689 (97 views); M424597 (92 views); M424550 (194 views); M424491 (231 views); M424539 (188 views); M424533 (192 views); M424554 (209 views); M424517 (212 views); M424480 (234 views); M424522 (200 views); M424495 (217 views); M424507 (284 views); M424569 (176 views); M424676 (98 views); M424610 (116 views); M424492 (242 views); M424654 (89 views); M424540 (202 views); M424602 (97 views); M424647 (92 views); M424645 (97 views); M424573 (191 views); M424588 (100 views); M424593 (105 views); M424660 (118 views); M424598 (98 views); M424615 (109 views); M424701 (159 views); M424608 (109 views); M424667 (114 views); M424697 (103 views); M424648 (99 views); M424668 (94 views); M424549 (197 views); M424523 (222 views); M424687 (99 views); M424627 (102 views); M424624 (134 views); M424581 (92 views); M424643 (105 views); M424670 (97 views); M424629 (102 views); M424628 (99 views); M424578 (91 views); M424622 (124 views); M424594 (111 views); M424606 (117 views); M424694 (93 views); M424656 (105 views); M424632 (100 views); M424680 (98 views); M424580 (103 views); M424698 (110 views); M424692 (91 views); M424618 (115 views); M424635 (92 views); M424673 (105 views); M424634 (100 views); M424603 (90 views); M424630 (132 views); M424633 (108 views); M424613 (118 views); M424683 (104 views); M424681 (104 views); M424619 (115 views); M424620 (94 views); M424679 (115 views); M424591 (96 views); M424605 (100 views); M424617 (99 views); M424590 (93 views); M424621 (116 views); M424653 (100 views); M424684 (89 views); M424691 (91 views); M424587 (123 views); M424637 (139 views); M424600 (96 views); M424671 (110 views); M424649 (93 views); M424501 (213 views); M424483 (254 views); M424565 (195 views); M424490 (239 views); M424481 (253 views); M424536 (185 views); M424564 (204 views); M424548 (194 views); M424532 (195 views); M424489 (224 views); M424576 (182 views); M424534 (223 views); M424486 (215 views); M424546 (221 views); M424537 (196 views); M424513 (230 views); M424574 (212 views); M424496 (233 views); M424527 (198 views); M424508 (230 views); M424557 (191 views); M424530 (202 views); M424566 (227 views); M424571 (213 views); M424552 (208 views); M424525 (223 views); M424519 (254 views); M424515 (224 views); M424563 (185 views); M424516 (229 views); M424543 (210 views); M424506 (250 views); M424503 (211 views); M424514 (242 views); M424560 (204 views); M424542 (209 views); M424499 (219 views); M424575 (215 views); M424545 (213 views); M424559 (183 views); M424526 (216 views); M424555 (214 views); M424497 (237 views); M424702 (101 views); M424479 (230 views); M424558 (192 views); M424623 (96 views); M424521 (214 views); M424484 (229 views); M424553 (214 views); M424535 (204 views); M424518 (201 views); M424644 (97 views); M424494 (228 views); M424528 (217 views); M424505 (252 views); M424712 (4 views); M424561 (217 views); M424524 (223 views); M424510 (212 views); M424714 (4 views); M424723 (11 views); M424703 (3 views); M424706 (6 views); M424707 (3 views); M424731 (3 views); M424728 (3 views); M424711 (3 views); M424716 (3 views); M424715 (4 views); M424717 (3 views); M424733 (5 views); M424705 (6 views); M424727 (3 views); M424725 (3 views); M424722 (2 views); M424720 (4 views); M424736 (4 views); M424718 (5 views); M424726 (3 views); M424729 (4 views); M424704 (4 views); M424719 (4 views); M424730 (4 views); M424708 (4 views); M424709 (4 views); M424724 (3 views); M424713 (3 views); M424732 (7 views); M424735 (3 views); M424710 (4 views); M424721 (3 views); M424734 (2 views); |
Taxon list | 1000 | |
Specimen list | 4404 | |
Views for media list | 1449 | |
Bibliography | 476 | |
Documents list | 585 |
Project downloads 
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 146 | |
Project downloads | 142 | |
Matrix downloads | 4 | Cyclotella qualitative characters (4 downloads); |