American Naturalist

Aims & Scope

Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research.

Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think.

The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	2.7
2024	2.40

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	3230

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	1157

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	1.265

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

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Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Web of Science

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Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

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Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• Phylogenies and the Comparative Method

  Citation: 7754

  Authors: Joseph

• Genetic Distance between Populations

  Citation: 6604

  Authors: Masatoshi

• Evidence for the Existence of Three Primary Strategies in Plants and Its Relevance to Ecological and Evolutionary Theory

  Citation: 4035

  Authors: J. P.

• Sources, Sinks, and Population Regulation

  Citation: 3613

  Authors: H. Ronald

• Food Web Complexity and Species Diversity

  Citation: 3437

  Authors: Robert T.

• The Limiting Similarity, Convergence, and Divergence of Coexisting Species

  Citation: 3332

  Authors: Robert, Richard

• Herbivores and the Number of Tree Species in Tropical Forests

  Citation: 3085

  Authors: Daniel H.

• On Optimal Use of a Patchy Environment

  Citation: 3012

  Authors: Robert H., Eric R.

• Mechanisms of Succession in Natural Communities and Their Role in Community Stability and Organization

  Citation: 2925

  Authors: Joseph H., Ralph O.

• Homage to Santa Rosalia or Why Are There So Many Kinds of Animals?

  Citation: 2783

  Authors: G. E.

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