''The American Naturalist'' is the monthly
peer-reviewed scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research.
Content
Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as ...
of the
American Society of Naturalists The American Society of Naturalists was founded in 1883 and is one of the oldest professional societies dedicated to the biological sciences in North America. The purpose of the Society is "to advance and diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and o ...
, whose purpose is "to advance and to diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles so as to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences." It was established in 1867 and is published by the
University of Chicago Press. The journal covers research in
ecology,
evolutionary biology, population, and integrative
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...
. , the
editor-in-chief is
Daniel I. Bolnick. According to the ''
Journal Citation Reports'', the journal had a 2020
impact factor
The impact factor (IF) or journal impact factor (JIF) of an academic journal is a scientometric index calculated by Clarivate that reflects the yearly mean number of citations of articles published in the last two years in a given journal, as i ...
of 3.926.
History
The journal was founded by
Alpheus Hyatt
Alpheus Hyatt (April 5, 1838 – January 15, 1902) was an American zoologist and palaeontologist.
Biography
Alpheus Hyatt II was born in Washington, D.C. to Alpheus Hyatt and Harriet Randolph (King) Hyatt. He briefly attended the Mary ...
,
Edward S. Morse,
Alpheus S. Packard Jr., and
Frederick W. Putnam at the
Essex Institute
The Essex Institute (1848–1992) in Salem, Massachusetts, was "a literary, historical and scientific society." It maintained a museum, library, historic houses; arranged educational programs; and issued numerous scholarly publications. In 1992 th ...
in
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
. The first issue appeared in print dated March 1867.
["American Naturalist," in International Magazine Co., ''Periodicals,'' vol. 1, no. 1 (October-December 1917), pg. 5.]
In 1878 the journal was for sale and
Edward Cope bought half the rights. He moved the journal to Philadelphia and arranged to edit it jointly with Professor Alpheus S. Packard Jr. Cope became editor-in-chief in 1887 and continued in that capacity until his death in 1897.
In 1897, a group of professors from
M.I.T.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...
,
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher l ...
, and
Tufts bought the rights from the Cope estate and kept the journal in publication until 1907 when
J. McKeen Cattell acquired control.
Cattell's son Jacques became co-editor and publisher with his father in 1939.
Although the ASN became increasingly involved in editing ''The American Naturalist'' through changes in 1941 and 1951, the journal remained with the Cattell family until 1968, when the University of Chicago Press took it over after
Jacques Cattell Jaques (Jack) Cattell (2 June 1904 in Garrison, New York – 19 December 1961) was an American publisher and founder of a company bearing his name, "Jaques Cattell Press, Inc.," based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Jaques Cattell Press, Inc. The Sci ...
's death.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:American Naturalist, The
1867 establishments
Academic journals associated with learned and professional societies of the United States
Biology journals
Ecology journals
English-language journals
Monthly journals
Publications established in 1867
University of Chicago Press academic journals