...
An advantage of a web-based system like MorphoBank is that time-consuming maintenance tasks such as data backup can be centralized. MorphoBank backs up both the database and the media files for the resource once a week.For optimal security we suggest you perform your own periodic back-ups using the project "download" feature. This can be found on the right side of the project overview page (the summary page displayed when you first select a project) and will provide you with a Zip-format archive containing all matrices and media from your project.
Note that a project download is not a full backup in that it can not be reloaded into MorphoBank to reconstitute a project. The download consists of separate NEXUS files and images. Media, characters, taxa and scoring are all retained, but labels and links between matrix characters and cells to media will not be retained due to limitations in the NEXUS file format. Thus we do not recommend deleting your work within MorphoBank unless you are absolutely sure you no longer need your project.
Learning about morphological phylogenetics
How can I learn more about researching the Tree of Life with morphology?
Information on topic is taught in many undergraduate and graduate biology courses and is also discussed in natural history museum exhibitions. There is an extensive academic literature on morphological systematics in journals such as Systematic Biology and Cladistics, as well as in many other journals dedicated specifically to certain species. Many books are available on this topic including:
Brower, Andrew VZ, and Randall T. Schuh. Biological systematics: principles and applications. Cornell University Press, 2021.
Wiley, E. O. et al. 1991. The Compleat Cladist.
The University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley has a short introduction here.
...