Message-id: <62737.70.75.34.237.1203710943.squirrel@70.75.34.237> Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:09:03 -0700 (MST) From: Jason Anderson To: VRTPALEO@usc.edu Sender: owner-VRTPALEO@usc.edu Envelope-to: mike@indexdata.com Delivery-date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:09:31 +0100 Subject: Re: Aetogate: new review Dear all, My sense of disquiet over this issue has only increased with recent news. I agree with Kevin Padian's comments in his letter to the editor completely. I have never heard of an institution whose policy was as characterized by Bob Sullivan. Individual curators who collected the material originally may however ask for authorship as a condition to see material, but this is explicit and negotiated at the time of the loan of material. As for the outside professional arbiters selected to sit on the review panel, I am shocked at what appears to be blatant cronyism. It rather smells of a cover up--and that is NOT what this process demands. I renew calls for an open, transparent, and impartial process to review the allegations. The present process is unacceptable in my opinion. Sincerely, Jason Anderson > On Friday, February 22 augwhite@sbcglobal.net wrote: > > < Then this will be a true test of their dedication ... > > It shouldn't be a test of their dedication--it should have been an > impartial panel which had no close personal or professional ties to the > person in question. They might as well have asked his mother to sit on > the committee. > > No ruling has been announced as yet, but the Albuquerque Journal > published two letters to the editor today: > http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/letters/287412opinion02-22-08.htm > (free access requires viewing a very short commercial for the newspaper) > Both pairs of letters are also available at: > http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/comments.html > > "Fossil Finds Must Be Shared" > "DR. ROBERT Sullivan's views about fossil specimens ('Students Don't > Have a Bone To Pick' letter) are at odds with the practices of curators > in most museums, based on my 30 years' experience in collections around > the world. He maintains that because some of the fossils in question > were collected by 'the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and > Science, they are exclusively the research property of its staff.' " > <...> > KEVIN PADIAN > > "Museum Case Requires Inquiry" > "LAURENCE LATTMAN'S letter ('Claims Against Scientist False') states > that the allegations against Spencer Lucas and the New Mexico Museum of > Natural History and Science have "no merit," even though Stuart Ashman, > secretary of the state Department of Cultural Affairs now concedes that > they may." <...> MIKE TAYLOR > > Mary Kirkaldy > ________________________________________________________________________ > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - > http://webmail.aol.com > > > -- Jason S. Anderson, PhD Assistant Professor, Anatomy Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Calgary 3330 Hospital Dr. Calgary, AB, CANADA T2N 4N1 PHONE: 403-210-8661 FAX: 403-210-3939