title: A neotropical Miocene pollen database employing image-based search and semantic modeling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Digital microscopic pollen images are being generated with increasing speed and volume, producing opportunities to develop new computational methods that increase the consistency and efficiency of pollen analysis and provide the palynological community a computational framework for information sharing and knowledge transfer. •
  
  
  METHODS
  Mathematical methods were used to assign trait semantics (abstract morphological representations) of the images of neotropical Miocene pollen and spores. Advanced database-indexing structures were built to compare and retrieve similar images based on their visual content. A Web-based system was developed to provide novel tools for automatic trait semantic annotation and image retrieval by trait semantics and visual content. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mathematical models that map visual features to trait semantics can be used to annotate images with morphology semantics and to search image databases with improved reliability and productivity. Images can also be searched by visual content, providing users with customized emphases on traits such as color, shape, and texture. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Content- and semantic-based image searches provide a powerful computational platform for pollen and spore identification. The infrastructure outlined provides a framework for building a community-wide palynological resource, streamlining the process of manual identification, analysis, and species discovery.
authors.affiliation: Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 USA.
authors.forename: Jing Ginger
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 USA.
authors.forename: Hongfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Science, Pennsylvania State University-Great Valley, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 USA.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barb
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA.
authors.forename: Surangi W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Punyasena
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843, 03092 Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.affiliation: Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 USA ; Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 USA.
authors.forename: Chi-Ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Shyu
keywords: Miocene; content-based image retrieval; database; pollen morphology; semantics