Plagiarism in paleontology

Journal reveals persistent plagiarism by an author in the field of fossil algae

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For the past 20 years, an Egyptian researcher based in Saudi Arabia has been publishing papers on various topics related to fossil algae using the same plagiarized pictures over and over again, an article in the current issue of Revista Espanola de Micropaleontologia claims.

Julio Aguirre, from the University of Granada, alleges that Mostafa Mansour Imam has "repeatedly been plagiarizing pictures of diverse organisms previously published by other authors" in papers on microfacies, foraminifers, and coralline red algae from Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene sediments of several areas of Egypt and Libya.

"Imam has been using the same pictures in the different papers that he has published concerning different areas and rocks of different ages," Aguirre said.

Aguirre was alerted to the pattern while reviewing a paper submitted by Imam to the journal. The manuscript dealt with red algae from the Miocene in Egypt, but contained two pictures that in fact ...

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