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These databases summarize information concerning aboriginal uses of the peninsula's plant and animal resources. They are intended primarily as bibliographic guides; researchers should seek fuller information on the procurement, processing, use, and archaeological occurrence of the resources in the references that are cited. Non-native species and strictly post-contact practices have been excluded, in so far as they have been recognized. Some of the identifications of plant and animal species are likely to be incorrect. The information collected here is necessarily an incomplete work-in-progress. If users will submit corrections and additions to these databases to the webpage editors, it will be greatly appreciated.
The main sequence of entries is arranged alphabetically by the species' scientific name. (Scientific names are based on terms rated as valid by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System; in some cases, these differ from the terms that were used in the original sources.) A second listing includes species for which only the common name is not known, or which are identified only in taxa above the generic level; these are arranged alphabetically by the taxon's English or Spanish common name. A third listing includes species identified only by a native name. Each entry may potentially include (a) the scientific name; (b) the English and Spanish common names; (c) the names in the various native languages of Baja California; (d) reported aboriginal practices in the procurement, processing, and use of the resource, for each ethnic group and for Baja California in general; (e) the general regions within which archaeological occurrences of the resource have been reported; and (f) reference citations.The information in (d) and (e) is given in English.
(Spelling of native words has generally followed the orthographies used in the sources, even though those are inconsistent among themselves. Because of the limitations of the Worldwide Web's HTML format, the spellings used here have had to be simplified, and they may not accurately reflect the original records. Linguists and others concerned with precise phonology should refer to the original sources.)