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Coordinates

Coordinates are a provenance layer, not a substitute for locality evidence. This page shows whether a mapped point came from direct coordinates, named-site geocoding, broader projection logic, or a decision not to map the row at all.

That distinction matters because the map is often the first thing people see. If the coordinate basis is unclear, the point can look more exact than the evidence behind it really is.

How Place Names Become Map Points

  • direct coordinates can publish as direct points when the provenance row is complete
  • named-site geocoding stays marked as weaker geography
  • region-only or unresolved locality claims stay blocked from exact publication
  • the atlas and country bundles should surface those weaker postures honestly

What You Should Be Able To Tell

  • whether a point is based on direct coordinates or on a narrower geocoding step
  • whether the visible precision matches the supporting locality evidence
  • whether a record stayed blocked because the repository refused to fake exact geography
  • whether a public map point should be read as exact placement, cautious placement, or only broad regional context

The Key Rule

Coordinates only count as publishable evidence when the provenance row still shows the basis, confidence, rationale, and sample linkage that produced the visible point.

Why This Layer Protects The Public Product

Without coordinate provenance, a map point can silently become the strongest thing in the repository even when it should not be. This layer prevents that by keeping the public point tied to:

  • the locality decision that made mapping possible
  • the rationale for the coordinate itself
  • the confidence and caveat posture that still belongs to the point

Direct Files

  • data/adna/species/ovis_aries/normalized/coordinate_provenance.json
  • data/adna/governance/coordinate_caveat_surface.json
  • data/adna/governance/cross_species_map_readiness.json
  • docs/report/animal_point_evidence_review.md
  • data/adna/species/ovis_aries/normalized/site_evidence.json
  • data/adna/governance/unresolved_site_ledger.json
  • data/adna/governance/overbroad_site_ledger.json

Where To Go Next

  • move to localities if the coordinate question is really a place-claim question
  • move to sample records if the point may be attached to the wrong sample lineage
  • move to chronology if the point is placed acceptably but the time claim still feels too strong