Recent Geoethical Issues in Moroccan and Peruvian Paleontology

ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS, 60, FAST TRACK 7, 2017; DOI: 10.4401/ AG-7475

JUAN CARLOS GUTIÉRREZ-MARCO Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC, UCM), Madrid, Spain [email protected]

ARTUR A. SÁ Departamento de Geologia, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal Centro de Geociências, Universidaded de Coimbra–Pólo II, Coimbra, Portugal [email protected]

DIEGO C. GARCÍA-BELLIDO School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia [email protected]

CÉSAR A. CHACALTANA INGEMMET, Av. Canadá 1470, Lima, Peru [email protected]

Abstract

The cases of Joan Corbacho from Spain, and Klaus Hönninger and Carlos A. Vildoso from Peru, considered by some as prestig- ious paleontologists in their countries, are discussed here. The first one is a fossil collector and trader that, without a minimal scientific knowledge, published ca. 20 papers with proposals for a dozen new trilobite taxa coming from different Paleozoic for- mations in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas. Descriptions of new taxa seem formally valid but are rather inadequate, often based on poorly preserved material of dubious geological provenance, and mostly published as papers without peer review in a local journal, managed by a private museum connected to the Seminary of Barcelona. Besides this, part of the published and figured trilobite specimens were later offered for sale in the internet, sometimes accompanied with a ‘certificate of authenticity’ signed by the Museum director. Mr. Corbacho is acting also in Spain as a judicial expert in paleontology while he is not more than an amateur fossil collector. In Peru, the two cited pseudo-paleontologists lead their official-looking businesses, the ‘Meyer- Hönninger Palaeontological Museum’ and the ‘Peruvian Institute of Paleovertebrate Studies’, respectively, under names of institutional appearance. The ‘scientific research’ activities of Mr. Hönninger have been basically deactivated by authorities of the Ministry of Culture, and following a public complaint for fraud in the First International Symposium of Palaeontology of Peru held in 2014 in Lima. However, the dealings of the Mr. Vildoso, who has long claimed to have a title on Paleontology from the University of La Plata (Argentina), which he has never been able to show, has experienced a considerable increase, with paleontological heritage contracts with mining companies and the organization of the Dakar Rally. The prominence of the position he has attained is such that he was offered the presidency of the Organizing Committee of the IX Latin American Congress of Palaeontology held in 2016 in Lima, which has ended in an organization disaster and a money scandal.

1. INTRODUCTION East fossils of the Imam case (Aguirre, 2004; Granier et al., 2009), an increase of paleontolog- s occurred with the Gupta affair of the ical data from relatively remote or unexplored Himalayan ‘misplaced’ or ‘recycled’ places of the world has attracted the incursion A fossils (Talent, 1989; Ruffel et al., 2012; of opportunists into the research field. Here we Shah, 2013), or more recently with the Middle present the case of various unethical practices 1 ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS, 60, FAST TRACK 7, 2017; DOI: 10.4401/ AG-7475

detected in paleontological studies on the Or- tors. This lack of scientific control is in the dovician of Morocco, as well as others affecting origin that Mr. Corbacho, publishing preferen- more general aspects of Peruvian paleontology. tially in these two journals (see list of refer- The African case involves ten years of palaeon- ences), has flooded the literature on North Af- tological misconduct by a Spanish citizen, and rican trilobites with putative new taxa, in their is presented here for the first time. The two majority very poorly described and lacking other cases of unethical procedure by Peruvian precise geological context. The impact of this citizens have been partially discussed in a previ- scientific “noise”, materialized in almost twen- ous paper in Spanish (Gutiérrez-Marco et al., ty papers in ten years (2007–2017), varies ac- 2016), which is mostly translated and updated cording to the opinion of different specialists, here with new information. The questionable but its repercussions cannot be fully envisaged activities of these three individuals were already as yet. Two views are being imposed among known in circles of specialists, but the purpose the professional scientists: those who prefer to of this note is to make these practices known ignore the new taxa proposed by Mr. Corbacho outside their local areas, as well to the media and co-authors, and those who provisionally and national administrations, so that no one can could accept some of these problematic names, claim in the future the ignorance of these prob- in the hope of a future in-depth review of their lems. diagnosis, synonymies and precise stratigrap h- ic circumstances that will surely be a difficult 2. THE ‘CORBACHO AFFAIR’ and time-consuming job. As an example of the first view, Martin et al. This case affecting the North-African paleontol- (2016) reported a general list of the Lower Or- ogy began nine years ago, when Joan Corbacho, dovician trilobites identified from the Fezouata an amateur fossil collector settled in Sabadell Shale, with no reference of the new taxa d e- (province of Barcelona, NW Spain) started to scribed by Mr. Corbacho from the same for- publish papers on Ordovician trilobites of Mo- mation (Vela and Corbacho, 2007; Corbacho, rocco without a minimal scientific knowledge. 2008, 2014b; Corbacho and Vela, 2010, 2013; At the beginning Mr Corbacho coauthored with Corbacho and López-Soriano, 2012), with the embriologist Dr. J.A. Vela (University of Barce- single exception of Anacheirurus adserai (Vela lona), an amateur trilobite collector who is con- and Corbacho, 2007). In senior synonymy with nected to the Geological Museum of the Sem i- the latter there are probably up to six other nary of Barcelona, later going alone or in collab- Moroccan species described for the same area oration with other people, most of them non- by Vela (2007), Vela and Corbacho (2007) and specialists as well. Corbacho (2008), partially reviewed by Vela The geological museum of Barcelona deserves and Corbacho (2011). Most of the figured spec- attention because it has a great responsibility in imens from these ‘new species’ certainly repre- the origin and development of this affair. This sent preservational or mechanical variants - is a non-governmental institution that was es- either taphonomic or crudely retouched in - of tablished in 1874 as the Natural History Cabi- a single form of the genus Anacheirurus, which net of the catholic seminary (Vilella, 1999; Tay- is a junior synonym of Lehua (Martin et al., lor et al., 2012), and whose collection manage- 2016). As an example of the second option ment is in the hands of a large group of fossil Gutiérrez-Marco et al. (2017) have used the amateurs and volunteers. From 1987, the m u- name Megistaspis (Ekeraspis) hammondi (Cor- seum published regularly the journal Batalleria, bacho and Vela, 2010), but stating that ‘the as well as the non-periodic series Musei Geologi- original description of the species needs revi- ci Seminarii Barcinonensis (Series Palaeontologica), sion, because the diagnostic characters are which started in 2006. The problem is that both barely recognizable on the holotype, and the journals published papers with inadequate or purported differences with the subspecies M. totally lacking peer review, especially when (E.) hammondi forteyi could be due to prepara- relating to ‘discoveries’ and contributions tion by fossil dealers’. On the other hand, the submitted by the Museum’s main collabora- same late Tremadocian trilobite was cited as M.

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(E.) cf. filacovi by Martin et al. (2016), in the papers by Mr. Corbacho is that most of the hope of a more complete study with better pre- original type material of his new species were served material. A recurrent problem in the inadequately prepared, or reconstructed by lo-

Figure 1: Composition of past screen captures showing Mr. Corbacho’ Moroccan trilobites on sale in Internet. On the left-half, a topotype specimen of Uralichas hispanicus tardus figured in Corbacho (2011, pl. 3, fig. 1), and offered with a ‘certificate of authenticity’ signed by the Geological Museum of the Seminary of Barcelona. Despite the specimen being described as 100% real, it shows clear cosmetic reconstructions in cephalon, thorax and pygidium. To the right is a clus- ter of paratype specimens of Megistaspis (Ekeraspis) hammondi, figured by Corbacho and Vela (2010, pl. 5C) and also offered by eBay (bottom center) for a total of 32,317.64 Euros. Bottom left is an image of the holotype specimen of Par- vilichas marochii, figured by Corbacho and Vela (2013, pl. 1, fig. 7) and found cited as ‘sold’. Big upper arrows indicate plates and placement of specimens in the corresponding publications, lower ones refer to the same in the web list of sales. According to their records, the name ‘elfosil’ of Mr. Corbacho is used on eBay since February 28, 2004. 3 ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS, 60, FAST TRACK 7, 2017; DOI: 10.4401/ AG-7475

cal dealers, because a great majority of his fig- paleontological falsification. But there’s more: ured specimens were certainly acquired from regarding the same species and material –all of Moroccan workers and fossil shops. Evidences commercial origin, Corbacho and Calzada of crude cosmetic improvements are often visi- (2014) speculate with the existence of a possible ble in many of the trilobites illustrated in his sexual dimorphism defined by the size and papers, as well as probable reconstructions of their occurrence in pairs, where they interpret specimens put together from different individ- that these couples could have fossilized when uals, a rather common practice in some local mating, after a sudden death by ‘gases of vol- fossil workshops. This procedure is strange for canic origin’. This is the scientific level of p a- a person who acts as a ‘Legal expert in paleon- pers published in Batalleria, that some often tology and gemology’ and is ‘responsible for listed in the acknow ledgements people having the Fossil Authentication and trilobites’ in the explicitly shown their disagreement with the Geological Museum of the Sem inary of Barce- content of certain manuscripts, and that latter lona. Lacking any tertiary education in paleon- see their name acknowledged in the publica- tology, Mr. Corbacho has obtained three titles tion (com. pers. Dr. J. Esteve, Dr. S. Zamora from the Catalonian School of Criminology re- and Dr. I. Rábano). lated to the ‘Gemology and Metales preciosos’ With regard to the paleontological descriptions (=Gemology and Precious Metals), ‘Peritajes y of new trilobite species, all of them are very Tasación Judicial’ (=Official Appraising) and a simplistic and often bold, full of measurements diploma in ‘Falsificaciones y Tasaciones Pale- taken from reconstructed material but outside ontológicas’ (=Paleontological Falsification and common taxonomic practice. He has often cho- Appraisals). These were all received from a sen the worst specimen (least complete or private center, collaborating with the also pri- worst preserved) as holotype, leaving the para- vate European University Miguel de Cervantes types for private collections. Occasionally two of Valladolid, which offers access ‘without aca- holotypes have been selected for the same sp e- demic requisites’. Mr. Corbacho is president of cies (as for Symphysops stevaninae; López- his own ‘Associaciò de Perits i Taxadors de Ca- Soriano and Corbacho, 2012), and sometimes talunya’ (five members). About fossil fakes and the holotype lacks the diagnostic characters their recognition and legal expertise in paleon- (like the paratype with eyes and –abraded– py- tology he has written several papers with very gidium, as opposed to the holotype cranidium elemental and obvious examples (Corbacho, of Degamella sendinoae; Corbacho, 2011). Once 2009, 2015; Corbacho and Martínez, 2014, 2015; there is the added value of having been illu s- Corbacho and Sendino, 2015; Corbacho et al., trated in a publication, Mr. Corbacho has of- 2007, 2011, 2015) and some made-up statistics fered some paratypes for sale on eBay or (Corbacho et al., 2015, fig. 1). Despite this pre- through his company’s web site (Fig. 1), and sumable experience and expertise and, as men- even the holotype appeared as “sold”. After tioned above, Mr. Corbacho established new these practices were denounced by the authors species of trilobites based on material coarsely in two international meetings (October 2015 reconstructed or highly retouched by Moroccan and August 2016), Mr. Corbacho took off the dealers. This is the case, for instance, of webpage section on ‘trilobites for sale’, from Asaphellus cuervoae (Corbacho and López- which we have compiled the images in Fig. 1. Soriano, 2012), a trilobite with exceptionally Mr. Corbacho, however, keeps publishing p a- long and transverse genal spines, obviously pers mainly regarding Ordovician trilobites, generated as an ‘improvement’ with epoxy not only dealing with those of the Lower Or- paste, probably based on poorly preserved dovician Fezouata Shale (Corbacho and López- specimens of Asaphellus stubbsi (Fortey, 2009), a Soriano, 2016; Corbacho et al., 2017), the for- trilobite characterized by long mou stache-like mation which preserves the Fezouata Biota genal spines. The fact that the type material of (Lefebvre et al., 2016), but also the more u n- A. cuervoae comprises retouched individuals known Upper Ordovician Tafilalt Biota (Vela with 6 and 7 thoracic segments, instead of 8 as and Corbacho, 2009; Corbacho, 2011; López- occurs in all other asaphids, also points to Soriano and Corbacho, 2012; Corbacho and

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Kier, 2011; Corbacho and López-Soriano, 2013c; fessional paleontologist of great national and Corbacho et al., 2014). Through his ‘Fosilart’ international prestige. This view was fuelled by company he has announced two more papers Mr. Hönninger himself through Wikipedia and and a book on Ordovician Moroccan trilobites, the social networks, where he was even treated edited by the Geological Museum of the Sem i- as a ‘public figure’ in Facebook. nary of Barcelona. Besides this geological peri- The media history of Mr. Hönninger includes od, Mr. Corbacho has expanded - occasionally alleged discoveries of important Peruvian fos- sending material to professional paleontolo- sils, never backed by scientific publications but gists - to the study of the Cambrian trilobites of aired to the media with obvious ignorance of Morocco (Geyer and Corbacho, 2015) as well as the previous paleontological literature, such as Devonian trilobites from the Anti-Atlas (Cor- ‘the first skeleton of Megalodon found in the bacho and López-Soriano, 2013a, 2013b; Cor- world’ (2006), a complete Smilodon skull (2009), bacho, 2014a, 2014c; Bignon et al., 2014). Final- a Neogene braincase mold of Kentriodon (2010), ly, Mr. Corbacho has sent some non-trilobite seven new Albian species from the Amazonia fossils to a Czech specialist producing two joint (2011), Miocene amber with insects, arachnids, notes (Valent et al., 2013; Valent and Corbacho, microfossils and rodent hairs (2011), etc. some 2015), and recently has written general papers of them even broadcasted by the BBC in April (Corbacho et al., 2016; Corbacho and Ham- 2011. He even claimed the authorship of what mond, 2017). Most of the coauthors of Mr. Cor- he called ‘Hönninger Hypothesis’, which su g- bacho’s papers are also amateur paleontolo- gests that the mass extinction of the K/ Pg gists (J.A. Vela, F.J. López-Soriano, C. Kier), boundary would have begun, due to climatic fossil collectors (K. Hammond, D. Martínez causes, five million years before the fall of the Bautista, J.A. Cuevas, E. Moreno), non-trilobite Yucatan asteroid, leading to the dwarfing of specialists (A. Ait Addi, S. Calzada, C. Sendino) certain foraminifera that he has never specified. or even fossil dealers (M. Tahiri). The background of Mr. Hönninger’ paleontological knowledge was apparently based on 3. THE ‘HÖNNINGER AFFAIR’ two fake degrees in the speciality: the first one obtained at the ‘Praehistorica Institut’ of Hanau In 2009, the Peruvian media reported that (Germany), which is a private fossil prep ara- Klaus Hönninger Mitrani, computer engineer tion laboratory, partly with commercial pu r- working as an amateur paleontologist, had es- poses, directed by Mr. Ingo Meyer. The second tablished in Laredo (Trujillo) the ‘first Peruvian putative title comes from the US ‘Wyoming paleontological museum’ according to some Dinosaur Center’, another private company newspapers, or ‘the first Latin American pale- that maintains a payment program (Dinosaur ontological museum’ according to other Academy) to teach how to dig d inosaurs to high sources. This is the Museo Paleontológico Meyer- school students. In its deleted page in Wikip e- Hönninger, a private company registered as an dia, Mr. Hönninger was proclaimed an ‘honor- association NCP (= ‘of unclassified activity’) on ary member’ of both institutions. August 17, 2009 by Mr. Hönninger, a Chiclayan In his most popular years in the media, Mr. born of German and Peruvian descent. This en- Hönninger starred in an alleged ‘encounter in thusiast of paleontology had assembled a col- the third phase’ in the Ocucaje desert, with lection of genuine fossils and dinosaur replicas long-headed extraterrestrials that reminded during his stay in Germany, and intended to him of the skulls deformed by the Paracas civi- disseminate this aspect of science in his cou n- lization. It was at that stage when he was inter- try, raising public awareness about the im- viewed by the Spanish TV program ‘Fourth portance of knowing and protecting the rich Millennium’, deployed to Peru to that effect Peruvian paleontological heritage. His exhibi- (Fig. 2). tion of fossils toured various sites (Trujillo, Initially invited by the Peruvian cultural au- Chiclayo, plus the districts of Surco and Villa El thorities to intervene in the regulation of the Salvador, in Lima). At the same time, some nation’s paleontological resources (September journalists began to regard him as a true pro- 2012), Mr. Hönninger soon became envious of

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the members of the current Ministry of Culture, logical prospects, Mr. Hönninger was also questioned at an invited conference, given in September 2013, during the First International Symposium on Peruvian Paleontology held in Lima, where his multiple opportunistic activities and professional intrusions came to light (Gutiérrez-Marco, 2014). It was then when he began to decline in his work as a pseudopale- ontologist, shortly after Mr. Hönninger signed agreements with the private university Ricardo Palma (Lima), and also with the m unicipality of Lima, to build the so-called ‘Dinopark’ in the Huáscar Zonal Park of Villa El Salvador (a dis- trict south of Lima). This project was publicized as the ‘first Peruvi- an museum of Paleontology’, having a budget of about US$ 1.3 Million. But after an inform a- tive exhibition was held for several years at the site of the future museum, with an open-air display of replicas of skeletons and dinosaur models, the project was ‘frozen’ and was finally dismissed at the beginning of 2015, being replaced by the construction of sport installations in the same area. However, Dinopark has man- Figure 2: Above: Screen capture of Mr. Klaus Hön- aged to become a future ‘Paleontological ninger, participating in the television program ‘Cuar- Theme Park and Museum of Humanity’ which, to Milenio’ (‘Fourth Millenium’, Channel ‘Cuatro’, also under the direction of Mr. Hönninger, is Spain, 2012). The subscript reads ‘professor and direc- expected to be located in the city of Tacna, tor of the Museo Meyer-Hönninger of Peru’. Below: hopefully with exclusively informative and Mr. Klaus Hönninger with a dinosaur replica in his disconnected objectives of research or paleon- exhibition in Lima (Peru), from Facebook (open ac- tological rescue. cess). Today, Mr. Klaus Hönninger no longer public- ly boasts of his past status as a paleontologist for maintaining strong personal opposition to but, after his frustrated passage through poli- the traced itinerary of the ‘Rally Dakar’ to cross tics (in 2014 opted for the presidency of the Re- the deserts of Ica and Ocucaje in 2013 and 2015. gional Government of Lambayeque), now a- This race caused in 2012 severe damage in the days he splits his time between the direction of extensive deposits with fossil cetaceans and the ‘Meyer-Hönninger Museum’ (virtual in the other marine vertebrates, not only by the vehi- present moment?) and the positions of ‘Princi- cles, but also their participant’s camps and pal Investigator’ and ‘Director of International spectators. This opposition led him to report to Affairs’ of the Instituto de Investigaciones y Estu- the media that he received death threats dios Socio-Territoriales (Institute of Research and against him (using blood-stained Colombian Socio-Territorial Studies–IIEST). The latter is a bills), and that a group of 50 Right Livelihood new private company (NCP-Association, Lima Award winners (described by some as the “Al- 2015), whose name denotes institutional ap- ternative Nobel Prize”) wrote to the Peruvian pearance, and where Hönninger’s curriculum government requesting personal protection for is almost unrelated to Paleontology, although it Mr. Hönninger (May 2013). maintains several dubious references regardin g Following his disagreement with the authori- its past and present non-paleontological activities of the Ministry of Culture, who since 2013 ties. began to monitor the legality of his paleonto-

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Figure 3: Above: screen captures and composition of images taken from the website of the IX Latin American Congress of Paleontology, showing the president of the organizing committee, Mr. Carlos A. Vildoso, with his curriculum. Be- low: paramilitary esthetics and propaganda among the participants of the company ‘Instituto Peruano de Estudios en Paleovertebrados’. Bottom left: the president, Mr. Carlos A. Vildoso. Images from Facebook (open access).

4. THE ‘VILDOSO AFFAIR’ being involved in various controversies for breach of contracts in the Museum of La Plata This case overlaps in time with the previous (Argentina) and in the National Museum of Pe- one but even more convoluted, given that its ru, in 1995 he founded the Instituto Peruano de protagonist, the publicist Carlos Antonio Vil- Estudios en Paleovertebrados– IPEP (= Peruvi- doso Morales, claimed at the beginning to have an Institute of Studies in Paleovertebrates). graduated as a paleontologist in 1990 from the This is a private commercial company regis- University of La Plata (Argentina). A statement tered as an Association of Unclassified Activity denied by his academic record, which proves (NCP), through which Mr. Vildoso gets con- that he only attended seven subjects of the d e- tracts of projects with mining companies for gree in Biology, of which he passed three, los- rescue and protection of paleontological ele- ing his status as a regular student in 1991. After ments, as well as with the French company or- 7 ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS, 60, FAST TRACK 7, 2017; DOI: 10.4401/ AG-7475

ganizing the Rally Dakar 2014, in order to pro- for several years in the program of Archeology ceed to the demarcation of ‘in situ’ vertebrate of the University San Luis Gonzaga of Ica (Fig. fossil skeletons that could be affected by the 3). layout of this famous race (Fig. 3). Other The position of Mr. Carlos Vildoso as Chair- sources of funding for the institute include the man of the Organizing Committee of this con- organization of itinerant paleontological exhi- gress deserves more attention. This meeting bitions, the sale of educational materials and was held in the main building of the Ministry the publication of a magazine (Vildoso Mo- of Culture in Lima between September 20–24, rales, 2012). The journal Contribuciones Paleonto- 2016, with the IPEP in charge of treasury lógicas del Instituto Peruano de Estudios en Paleo- through a personal bank account of its director. vertebrados, the ‘official publication’ of the IPEP, The number of accounting irregularities were is not traceable by bibliographic means. In the such, that Mr. José Apolín, representative of the cover image of its first number (vol. 1 for the Ministry of Culture and acting as chairman of year 2013, according to the webpage of the the Ethics and Regulations of the Peruvian IPEP) it indicates the ISSN 225-2797 (sic). But in Congress defined the handling by Mr. Vildoso the ISSN global database the journal appears as a ‘planned embezzlement’, which wou ld have initiated in 2010 under the ISBN number 2225- affected that ministry and scientists from 14 2797, lacking a deposit in the National Library countries. The economic balance presented by of Peru as should be expected. Another anom a- the president at the end of the congress was ly is that this journal is not included in the very unsatisfactory also in words of Dr. Jean- WorldCat database, which raises doubts over Noël Martínez, who acted as chairman of the its existence. Scientific Committee of a congress that had a Being an active person in the media of his minuscule local participation (6 posters from country and in social networks, Mr. Vildoso Peru). regularly works as a research paleontologist, despite the absence of recognized paleontologi- 5. FINAL REMARKS cal training, which can be qualified as a kind of unqualified practice. The results of his alleged Examples of recent methodological and ethical investigations, in some cases totally invented misconduct in paleontological science affecting paleontological discoveries, were ‘published’ Morocco and Peru are presented here. Most of by the journal of the IPEP and in some confer- the former remain unknown outside the lim- ence abstracts that have assumed, in good faith, ited circles of specialists but could introduce the integrity of its authors. There is no record confusion in the future. There is an important of international research publications with Mr. risk that these poor descriptions and contam i- Vildoso as author or co-author, nor does he nated Moroccan data may be utilized for re- appear with any in the National Directory of gional geology or in global paleontological d a- Science and Technology Researchers of Peru. tabases, affecting the conclusions reached in From the journalistic information it is deduced paleogeographical, stratigraphical or other geo- that Mr. Vildoso possess a valuable collection logical analyses. The latter problem is the social of Peruvian fossils, estimated by himself at projection so far reached by the false Peruvian about 50,000 specimens, that he apparently paleontologists deteriorating the image of true keeps in his private residence, according to a professional paleontologists of this Andean personal interview published by the Peruvian country. journal La República. Only in this early article The activities of the Spanish fossil collector and (January 14, 2013), he qualified himself as a trader Mr. Joan Corbacho led to the publication ‘lover of paleontology –but not a paleontolo- of several dozen new trilobite taxa coming gist’. However, in March 2016, and acting as from Morocco, in absence of true scientific tax- President of the IX Latin American Congress of onomical study and precise geological data Paleontology, his curriculum vitae changed to about the different type localities. The type m a- ‘a researcher with almost three decades of ex- terial of the new species selected to be housed perience in vertebrate paleontology’, teaching in institutional repositories is barely repre-

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sentative, while much better specimens remain a Peruvian scientist of unquestionable intern a- in private hands. The best-preserved paratypes tional reputation. have been in part offered for sale in internet However, Mr. Carlos Vildoso was recently re- (even the figured specimens) with a ‘certificate ported to the Minister of Culture of Peru by the of authenticity’ signed by the director of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, requesting Geological Museum of the Seminary of Barce- an investigation into the organization and fi- lona, the same institution that edited the jou r- nancing of the IX Latin American Congress of nals where the papers describing the new Mo- Paleontology. This international society ac- roccan species were published without any sci- cused him of serious irregularities experienced entific control or peer-review process by spe- by members of the paleontological scientific cialists. Mr. Corbacho considers himself as a community who participated in the meeting, true ‘expert in paleontology’ in the museum such as keynote speakers not issued with air- and demonstrates his condition by publicizing line tickets, scheduled field trips not celebrated him as a member of the Spanish Society of and with unreturned fees to participants that Paleontology (which is open to all types of had paid in advance, besides a general disor- public). Despite his private titles in paleonto- ganization and lack of scientific coordination logical falsifications and appraisals, many of and attention to participants. A similar state- the new trilobite species proposed by Mr. Cor- ment has been put out by the Geological Socie- bacho are based on specimens retouched by ty of Peru as well as by Dr. Rodolfo Salas- Moroccan dealers. This fact, added to the lack Gismondi, director of the Department of Verte- of precise stratigraphic information and a good brate Paleontology of the Natural History Mu- taxonomic study, introduces more problems seum (National University of San Marcos, Li- than benefits to North African paleontology. ma). The latter has published on the internet The false history as paleontologist of Mr. Klaus numerous accredited documents on these accu- Hönninger was deleted from Wikipedia in ear- sations and others on the lack of ethics of Mr. ly 2014, after being classified as ‘promotional’ Vildoso. This was replied by Mr. Vildoso ask- by several editors, and because it exclusively ing for a public retraction of these statements in contained references to non-scientific journal- February 10, 2017, which to this date has not istic articles. Apart from that, he is the author taken place. of a small book entitled Buscando al gigante Paradoxically, researchers from the Natural (‘Looking for the giant’, San Marcos Ed., Lima History Museum of Lima are almost the only 2014), referring to the campaigns to find the ones that produce relevant paleontological re- ‘Megalodón’ (= the giant shark Otodus (Me- sults measured in terms of the impact factors gaselachus) megalodon) in the Ica desert. The established by international databases (WoK, contents that Mr. Hönninger now disseminates Scopus...), followed by few other universities in social networks are mostly impregnated and by paleontologists of INGEMMET (the Pe- with philosophical, environmental and archeo- ruvian Geological Survey). With the exception logical connotations, or showing its ongoing of those from the University of Piura and two personal opposition, for example, to "trash TV" other Limean private universities, most of the and the return of the Rally Dakar to Peru, but renowned Peruvian paleontologists were not with only few paleontological references. invited in due time to join the candidacy of Li- However, by the beginning of November 2016 ma as the site of the IX Latin American Con- Mr. Hönninger erroneously appeared in the list gress of Paleontology, finally presided by C.A. of the ‘Five Peruvian Scientists admired by the Vildoso. According to written statements by world’, an initiative from Cienciactiva (= ‘Active Dr. Salas-Gismondi, Mr. Vildoso is suspected Science’), which depends from the Consejo to be involved in the numerous anonymous Fa- Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación cebook pages full of racist, sexist and hom o- Tecnológica (CONCYTET, an equivalent to the phobic assertions, intended to insult and dis- USA National Science Foundation - NSF). Up- qualify the members of the Department of Ver- on this error being realized, the people respon- tebrate Paleontology of the Natural History sible replaced Mr. Hönninger’s name by that of Museum.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Corbacho J. and Kier C. (2011). Trilobites of a new We are grateful to the various American and outcrop of Upper Ordovician in Jbel Tijarfaï- European colleagues who have provided us ouine, El Kaid Errami (Morocco), with first with a very valuable documentary safeguard, mention of genus Corrugatagnostus, Scripta with which to support all the statements made. Mus. Geol. Seminar. Barcinonensis [Ser. pa- Thank you to Dr. Abdelouahed Lagnaoui laeontol.], 10, 3-14. (University of El Jadida, Morocco) and an Corbacho J. and López-Soriano F.J. (2012). A new anonymous referee for their contributions im- asaphid trilobite from the Lower Ordovician proving the manuscript. (Arenig) of Morocco. Batalleria, 17, 3-12. Corbacho J. and López Soriano F.J. (2013a). Di- REFERENCES versidad y distribución de Acanthopyge (Be- Aguirre J. (2004). Plagiarism in Palaeontology. A lenopyge), (Lichidae) en Marruecos; Devónico new threat within the scientific community, inferior y medio. Batalleria, 18, 3-14. Rev. Española Micropaleont., 36, 349-352. Corbacho J. and López-Soriano F.J. (2013b). Two Bignon A., Corbacho J. and López-Soriano F.J. new species of Trochurinae trilobites from the (2014). A revision of the first Asteropyginae Middle Devonian (Eifelian) of Southern Mo- (Trilobita; Devonian), Geobios, 47, 281–289. rocco. Batalleria, 18, 15-24. Corbacho J. (2008). Tres nuevas especies de Corbacho J. and López-Soriano F.J. (2013c). Chat- Lehua del Ordovícico inferior del Valle de tiaspis? budili: a new Dalmanitidae species Draa (Marruecos), Scripta Mus. Geol. Sem i- from Morocco; Upper Ordovician (Lower nar. Barcinonensis [Ser. palaeontol.], 5, 3-13. Katian). Batalleria, 19, 6-12. Corbacho J. (2009). Falsificación de fósiles del Corbacho J. and López-Soriano F.J. (2016). N. de África (no trilobites). Batalleria, 14, Platypeltoides hammondi (Trilobita, Nilei- 53–56. dae): A new species from the Upper Tre- Corbacho J. (2011). Trilobites from the Upper madoc of the Dra Valley, Morocco. Batalleria, Ordovician of Bou Nemrou - El Kaid Errami 23, 11-19. (Morocco). Batalleria, 16, 16-36. Corbacho J. and Martínez D. (2014). Perito judicial Corbacho J. (2014a). Lanceaspis hammondi n. en paleontología: Una nueva visión. Comuni- gen., n. sp. - a questionable early Asteopygi- cats Inst. Cat. Miner. Gemmol. Paleontol., 38- nae (Trilobita) from the Pragian of the Mo- 39, 71-72. rocco. Batalleria, 20, 3-10. Corbacho J. and Martínez Bautista D. (2015). So- Corbacho J. (2014b). Kierarges morrisoni: Un bre peritajes y tasaciones en paleontología. nuevo género de Isotelinae (Trilobita) del Comunicats Inst. Cat. Miner. Gemmol. Pale- Floiense de Portugal y Marruecos. Batalleria, ontol., 5, 40-41. 20, 21-26. Corbacho J. and Sendino C. (2015). Fossil fakes Corbacho J. (2014c). Struveaspis bignoni: Nueva and their recognition. Deposits Mag., 30, 35- especie de Phacopidae (Trilobita) de Marru e- 40. cos; Devónico Medio (Eifeliense), Scripta Corbacho J. and Vela J.A. (2010). Giant Trilobites Mus. Geol. Seminar. Barcinonensis [Ser. pa- from Lower Ordovician of Morocco. Bataller- laeontol.], 16, 3-12. ia, 15, 3-32. Corbacho J. (2015). Peritajes y tasaciones en pa- Corbacho J. and Vela J.A. (2011). Revisión de las leontología. Trabajo de Título Propio Escu e- especies de Lehua de la región de Zagora la Internacional de Criminología, Universi- (Marruecos). Batalleria, 16, 46-49. dad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, Vallad o- Corbacho J. and Vela J.A. (2013). Parvilichas ma- lid, 7 pp., doi 10.13140/ RG.2.1.1872.8489. rochii: New genus and species of Lichidae Corbacho J. and Calzada S. (2014). Posible di- from the Zagora region (Morocco); Early Or- morfismo sexual en Trilobites del Ordovícico dovician (Floian). Scripta Mus. Geol. Seminar. inferior. Batalleria, 21, 22-26. Barcinonensis [Ser. palaeontol.], 14, 3-13. Corbacho J. and Hammond K. (2017). Técnicas Corbacho J., Corbacho I., Morrison S. and Valent de limpieza y recuperación de trilobites mar- M. (2015). Últimas técnicas detectadas en la roquíes. Batalleria, 24, 9-16. falsificación de fósiles. Batalleria, 22, 22-27.

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