Aetogate: asking for answers in New Mexico (original) (raw)

Wed Feb 17 14:21:11 GMT 2010

We are aware of scientific publications emanating from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS) which appear to usurp the work of others without credit and to claim-jump names that others have planned to attach to taxa.

We have documented these issues as clearly as possible and invite the wider scientific community to decide for themselves whether our complaints are valid or not.

Status as of Wed Feb 17 14:21:11 GMT 2010

Twenty-one months have passed since the SVP released its findings, such as they were. The victims of Aetogate are now trying to put this episode behind them get on with their research and their lives. Any attempts at reprisals seem to have been unsuccessful.

Was it worth pursuing this, or did the SVP's non-decision render it all pointless? Thefinal statement of Martz, Parker, Taylor and Wedel gives our sober perspective of how things turned out. For a more personal and less guarded view, seeWe're going to need a bigger ethics committee.

The allegations

• For those who don't have time to plough through the long documents, we provide a single-page capsule summaries ofParker's case,Martz's case andthe case of Revueltosaurus with more to follow.
• We have documented this history ofthe three inquiries, none of them satisfactory, set up by the Department of Culture Affairs.
• We have documented the issues in great detail, with extracts of the relevant papers and copies of correspondence, in atimeline. This shows both the evidence for the presumed infractions themselves and details of our attempts to obtain explanations from various authorities.
• The sequence of events is discussed in a more narrative way in our (rather long)summary.
• Bill Parker has responded to Lucas's report on the allegations concerning_Heliocanthus_, showing that Lucas's account is incorrect in several significant respects.Jeff Martz has responded to the parts of Lucas's report that pertain to_Redondasuchus_. I havewritten to the NMMNHS requesting a copy of its Institutional Code of Ethics.
• We have nowformally responded to the DCA's recent inquiry, with a letter to the DCA rejecting their findings and expressing no confidence in their ability or desire to investigate this matter properly. This response was accompanied bya detailed rebuttal of Lucas's defence and the inquiry panel's report. (The rebuttal contains largely similar material to Parker's and Martz's indivdual responses, linked in previous paragraph.)
• Thethe SVP findings concluded that "faced with conflicting testimonies, the Ethics Education Committee was not able to resolve these allegations in favor of either side, a position that does not absolve either party of responsibility", but along with this non-verdict also issued a new "best practices" document for VP professional conduct. We responded with afinal statement. Finally, the SVP issued aaddendum pointing out that they ignored all blogs and media coverage of Aetogate.

Press coverage

• The story has beencovered in Nature
• The Albuquerque Journal has provided excellent coverage throughout, in the form of news stories, editorials, letters to the editor and even a cartoon. The Journal is also graciously allowing links from this site directly to the relevant content, skipping the video advert that some readers have had difficulty viewing.
  • February 3 News:Museum Boss Faces Ethics Charge (front-page lead)
  • February 8 News:Museum Ethics Spat May Get New Review.
  • February 10 Editorial:Dig for Truth About Museum Fossil Claim
    Cartoon:Political Museum [local copy]
  • February 19 Letters:Claims Against Scientist False / Students Don't Have a Bone To Pick (Laurence H. Lattman and Robert M. Sullivan)
  • February 21 News:Panel to Examine Museum Ethics Flap
  • February 22 Letters:Fossil Finds Must Be Shared / Museum Case Requires Inquiry (Kevin Padian and Mike Taylor)
  • February 23 News:Ethics Panelist Calls Museum Flap Baseless
  • February 24 Editorial:Old Bones of Contention
  • March 2 News:Who Controls Access to Research on Fossils?
  • March 3 Letter:Spencer Lucas a Gentleman (Ted Guinn)
  • March 4 Update:Review Finds Museum Scientist Innocent
  • March 5 Story:Review Panel Clears N.M. Museum Director
    Letter:Fossil Case Demands Inquiry (Angela Wandinger-Ness, for the New Mexico Academy of Science)
  • March 6 Editorial:Thorough Airing Ends Up a Waste of Oxygen
  • March 10 Update:Parker Responds to Lucas
  • March 17 Update:More Response from Museum Critics
  • April 8 News:Scientists: Museum Ethics Inquiry 'Travesty'
  • May 23 Update:Society Renders Lucas Verdict
  • May 24 News:Museum Ethics Case Closes With Mixed Ruling
  • May 28 Editorial:Tough Learning Curve for an Obvious Lesson

Outside commentary

• We're keeping track ofcoverage in blogs and elsewhere.
• Read some of thecomments from professional palaeontologists.

If anybody has anything they would like us to add to this page, please email us atnm@miketaylor.org.uk with your comments, thoughts, documentation, opinions, etc. We are keen to hear what the palaeontological community thinks.

Finally, nothing would please us more than to find out that all of this has been a series of unfortunate misunderstandings. We particularly invite the NMMNHS staff at the centre of these events (Lucas, Hunt, Spielmann, Heckert) to contact us and explain how these events have occurred.