Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:36:10 +0000 From: Andrew Smith To: mrowe@lifesci.ucsb.edu Subject: Archosaur controversy Hi Mickey, Yes it is an awkward situation and I am willing to help clear up any possible misunderstandings and provide data if the SVP's ethics committee would like to contact me directly. I can confirm the following: 1. Parker's paper was received here 13/5/2005 2. I sent the typescript to two highly respected archosaur workers on 31/5/2005 - I can give these names if needed and will say that both are UK based and with extensive publication records. Parker did not specifically ask for any referees to be excluded from consideration. My choice of referee was simply from expediency and knowledge of the research records of the two. Lucas, Heckert and Hunt were never considered as reviewers. 3. I had the two referees reports in hand by 9/08/2005 and wrote an acceptance subject to minor editorial corrections on 12/08/2005. 4. I received a final version 24/11/05 which I accepted and then proceeded to copy editing. I hope this clarifies the proceedure. Andrew -- Dr Andrew B Smith FRS FRSE Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK email: a.smith@nhm.ac.uk tel: +0044 2027 942 5217 website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/echinoid-directory/