# Rioarribasuchus > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rioarribasuchus > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rioarribasuchus.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rioarribasuchus > Source revision: 1333671779 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Extinct genus of reptiles Rioarribasuchus Temporal range: Carnian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Clade: Pseudosuchia Order: †Aetosauria Family: †Stagonolepididae Genus: †Rioarribasuchus Lucas, Hunt & Spielmann, 2006 Species: †R. chamaensis Binomial name †Rioarribasuchus chamaensis (Zeigler, Heckert & Lucas, 2003) Synonyms Desmatosuchus chamaensis Zeigler, Heckert & Lucas, 2003 ***Rioarribasuchus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [aetosaur](/source/Aetosaur). [Fossils](/source/Fossil) have been found from the [Chinle Formation](/source/Chinle_Formation) in [Arizona](/source/Arizona) and [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico) that date back to the upper Late [Carnian](/source/Carnian) stage of the [Late Triassic](/source/Late_Triassic). ## History *"[Desmatosuchus](/source/Desmatosuchus)" chamaensis* was named in 2003 and found from the [Petrified Forest Member](/source/Petrified_Forest_National_Park) of the Chinle Formation in New Mexico.[1][2] It was suggested to be more closely related to *[Paratypothorax](/source/Paratypothorax)*, and so Parker gave it the name ***Heliocanthus***. However, this new generic name was first proposed in an unpublished thesis, and thus did not meet [ICZN](/source/International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature) regulations for the naming of a new taxon. Later published papers reasserted the genetic separation of *"D". chamaensis* from *Desmatosuchus*, but the name *Heliocanthus* remained a *[nomen nudum](/source/Nomen_nudum)* until 2007, where it was thoroughly rediscribed in a paper published by the *[Journal of Systematic Palaeontology](/source/Journal_of_Systematic_Palaeontology)*.[3] However, a paper previously published in late 2006 assigned *"D". chamaensis* to the new genus *Rioarribasuchus*.[4] As a result, *Heliocanthus* is a junior objective synonym of *Rioarribasuchus* because the genus has seniority over *Heliocanthus*. However, the name *Rioarribasuchus* has been viewed as a violation of the code of ethics laid out in Appendix A of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the papers that made use of the name have even been described as practicing "intellectual theft".[5] This controversy was connected to a similar allegation of ethical misconduct and editorial mismanagement related to an aetosaur paper published in 2006 by Spielmann and colleagues, who named *[Redondasuchus rineharti](/source/Redondasuchus_rineharti)* and was accused of plagiarism on Jeffrey Martz's 2002 thesis by Martz and colleagues in 2007.[6] An article published later in 2007 in the science blog *Tetrapod Zoology* brought these events to the attention of a wider range of readers, and the controversy was dubbed "Aetogate".[7] This sparked continued debate regarding these issues among vertebrate paleontologists, which eventually led to an investigation by the [Society of Vertebrate Paleontology](/source/Society_of_Vertebrate_Paleontology) into these issues and a response given in mid 2008 regarding the unethical conduct of the authors who described *Redondasuchus rineharti* and *Rioarribasuchus*. While the SVP report was unable to find evidence of explicit plagiarism and theft for both accusations, it did not "absolve either party from responsibility", and also criticized the editorial and regulatory practices of the NMMNH and its staff, the lack of communication or collaboration experienced during the situation, and the difficulty in proving plagiarism or conflicts of interest in paleontological work.[8] A revised code of ethics was published by the SVP alongside the results of their investigation.[9] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Zeigler, K. A., Heckert, A. B., and Lucas, S. G. (2003). A new species of *Desmatosuchus* (Archosauria:Aetosauria) from the Upper Triassic of the Chama Basin, north-central New Mexico. *In:* Heckert, A. B. and Lucas, S. G., eds., *Upper Triassic Stratigraphy and Paleontology. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin No. 21* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Parker, W. G. (2003). Description of a new specimen of *Desmatosuchus haplocerus* from the Late Triassic of Northern Arizona. Unpublished MS thesis. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. 315 pp. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Parker, W. G. (2007). Reassessment of the Aetosaur *"Desmatosuchus" chamaensis* with a reanalysis of the phylogeny of the Aetosauria (Archosauria:Pseudosuchia). *Journal of Systematic Palaeontology* **5**:41–68. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Lucas, S. G., Hunt, A. P., and Spielmann, J. A. (2006). *Rioarribasuchus*, a new name for an aetosaur from the Upper Triassic of north-central New Mexico. *In:* Harris et al., eds., *The Triassic-Jurassic Terrestrial Transition. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 37*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Timeline"](http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/timeline.html). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Martz, J.; Taylor, M.; Wedel, M.; Naish, D. (10 March 2008). ["Aetogate: Martz's response to Spencer Lucas"](http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/visit/martz.html). *Miketaylor.org.uk*. Retrieved 3 July 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Tetrapod Zoology : The armadillodile diaries, a story of science ethics"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081017165531/http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/04/post_2.php). Archived from [the original](http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/04/post_2.php) on 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2009-05-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Executive Committee (23 May 2008). ["Statement from the Executive Committee about the allegations of unethical conduct from J. Martz, W. Parker, M. Taylor and M. Wedel against S. Lucas, A. Hunt, A. Heckert, and J. Spielmann"](http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/ExecutiveCommitteestatement.pdf) (PDF). *Society of Vertebrate Paleontology*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Best practices from the Ethics Education Committee regarding research, publication, and museum work"](http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/ExecutiveCommitteestatement.pdf) (PDF). *Society of Vertebrate Paleontology*. 23 May 2008. ## External links - [Paleontology portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paleontology) - [Tetrapod Zoology article explaining the taxonomic issues regarding *Rioarribasuchus*](https://web.archive.org/web/20081017165531/http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/04/post_2.php) - [PDF response given by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology regarding the issues surrounding the naming and use of *Rioarribasuchus*](https://web.archive.org/web/20100714230435/https://www.vertpaleo.org/society/documents/ExecutiveCommitteestatement.pdf) - [A timeline of publications and letters by Aetogate](http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/nm/timeline.html) v t e Aetosauria Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Pseudosuchia Clade: Aetosauriformes Pseudosuchia see Pseudosuchia Aetosauria see below↓ Aetosauria †Aetosauria Aetosauroides Stagonolepididae Aetosaurinae Aetosaurus Coahomasuchus? Stenomyti? Typothoracinae? Apachesuchus Chilenosuchus? Gorgetosuchus? Kryphioparma Redondasuchus Typothorax Paratypothoracini Garzapelta? Kocurypelta Kuttysuchus Paratypothorax Rioarribasuchus Tecovasuchus Venkatasuchus Desmatosuchia Stagonolepidinae? Polesinesuchus Stagonolepis Desmatosuchinae sensu lato Adamanasuchus? Aetobarbakinoides? Calyptosuchus? Chilenosuchus? Neoaetosauroides? Olkasuchus Scutarx? Desmatosuchini (Desmatosuchinae sensu stricto) Desmatosuchus Gorgetosuchus? Longosuchus Lucasuchus Sierritasuchus Category Taxon identifiers Heliocanthus Wikidata: Q10294504 GBIF: 8627613 IRMNG: 1473482 Paleobiology Database: 163805 This article about a prehistoric archosaur is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Paleo-archosaur-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3APaleo-archosaur-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Paleo-archosaur-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rioarribasuchus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rioarribasuchus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rioarribasuchus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.