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Ecology and evolution

The Royal Society journals Proceedings B, Biology Letters, Philosophical Transactions B and Royal Society Open Science publish research articles, Reviews, Biological Science Practices, and theme issues in all areas of ecology and evolution.

Biology Letters ECR Competition

The 2025 Biology Letters ECR Competition is open for entries until Wednesday 30 April 2025. The competition highlights the best research papers published in the journal by early career researchers. The overall winner will receive £1000 and two runners-up will receive £500 each (or currency equivalent). We hope the prizes are particularly helpful for funding new research and/or attending conferences. Find out more.

Seminars

Our ecology and evolution author seminar series features research published in Royal Society journals. Each talk is associated with a recent paper or theme issue, selected by the journal's editors as being particularly innovative or having had significant recent impact. Explore the seminar collection.

 

Recent seminar highlights

The 1986 incident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine led to the largest release of radioactive material to the environment ever recorded. Considering the impact of ionising radiation on DNA and other cellular molecules, much debate surrounds whether radiation levels in the region continue to impact the longevity of local wildlife. In this seminar, hear authors Dr Germán Orizaola and Dr Pablo Burraco discuss their study on the aging and stress hormones in the Eastern tree frog.

Climate geroscience: the intersection between climate science and the biology of aging. Why should we, and how can we, facilitate this cross-disciplinary collaboration for the future health of us and the planet? In this seminar, hear Professor Colin Farrelly discuss this, with reference to the “wisdom oriented” science movement, resulting in a thought-provoking piece.

Spending time underwater poses challenges for land-based animals, not least how to breathe. Although many invertebrates are known to take bubbles of air with them underwater for respiration, until recently there has been no evidence that vertebrates do similar. In this seminar, Dr Lindsey Swierk discusses her study of the semi-aquatic Anolis lizard, and its use of bubble breathing to stay underwater for longer.

Latest research

Looking for exciting work in ecology and evolution? Discover top research published by us in recent years.

Philosophical Transactions B Volume 379 Issue 1907 Proceedings B Volume 291 Issue 2016 Biology Letters Volume 19 Issue 6

Philosophical Transactions B theme issues

Article collections

Take a look at the special collections featured below or browse all ecology and evolution articles published across the Royal Society journals.

Downloads

Are you a researcher based in London? Find us at the London Centre for Ecology and Evolution’s annual events and look out for our annual workshop.

Full conference list

Dr Justin M. Bernstein on coastal snakes of the Philippines and the importance of field data for downstream research.
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Dr Alex Shupinski on using functional diversity to describe how the structure of North American mammal palaeocommunities changed across the Cenozoic.
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Anne Grundlehner and Jeroen Hoekendijk on social distancing patterns in seal colonies.
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Royal Society journal articles are frequently mentioned in media outlets around the world. Explore ecology and evolution articles that made the news.

  • Air jacket helps 'scuba-diving' lizards stay underwater for longer via New Scientist
  • ‘Magical’: 17m insects fly each year through narrow pass in Pyrenees via Guardian
  • American crocodiles can have 'virgin births'—here’s what that means via National Geographic 
  • Reforestation means more than just planting trees via Science Magazine

Take a look at Darwin's 1839 article Observations on the parallel roads of Glen Roy, and other parts of Lochaber in Scotland, with an attempt to prove that they are of marine origin, published in Philosophical Transactions.

The Royal Society has been publishing scientific articles for over 350 years. Browse the Royal Society Journals Archive for a fascinating insight into the development of science and discover some of the key moments in scientific history.

Proceedings B is the Royal Society’s flagship biological research journal, accepting original articles and reviews of outstanding scientific importance and broad general interest. The main criteria for acceptance are that a study is novel and has general significance to biologists. Articles published cover the breadth of the biological sciences; many but not all articles have direct relevance to organisms and the environments in which they live. 

Biology Letters is an online Royal Society journal that publishes short, high-quality, peer-reviewed articles, reviews and opinion pieces from across the biological sciences. The scope is vast - publishing high-quality research in any area of the biological sciences. However, we have particular strengths in the biology, evolution and ecology of whole organisms. 

Philosophical Transactions B publishes high quality theme issues on topics of current importance and general interest within the life sciences, guest-edited by leading authorities and comprising new research, reviews and opinions from prominent researchers. Each issue aims to create an original and authoritative synthesis, often bridging traditional disciplines, which showcases current developments and provides a foundation for future research, applications and policy decisions. 

Royal Society Open Science is an open access journal publishing high-quality original research on the basis of objective peer-review. The journal covers the entire range of science and mathematics and allows the Society to publish all the high-quality work it receives without the usual restrictions on scope, length or impact. It welcomes the submission of all high-quality science including articles which may usually be difficult to publish elsewhere, for example, replications or those that include negative findings.

Dr. Zegni Triki

Dr Zegni Triki

Institute of Ecology & Evolution, Bern University

I have always had a deep respect and admiration for the Proceedings B journal and the outstanding work it publishes. I am honoured to be offered the opportunity to join the journal as a member of the Editorial Board team. Serving as an associate editor will be a rewarding experience on various levels.
Ana Valenzuela

Ana Valenzuela Toro

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz

I am happy that my research was valued and made more visible, so more researchers will recognize the power of archival specimens for advancing pressing questions in ecology. I don’t conceive of research or science as a competition; however, it is fantastic to receive recognition from peers. I encourage all early career researchers publishing in Biology Letters to enter this competition.
Dr Michael Bertram

Dr Michael Bertram

Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

I was eager to join the Editorial Board of Proceedings B because, even as far back as my undergraduate days, it has always been a journal for which I have a lot of respect. I found many of my favourite papers while reading through the pages of Proceedings B and so I look forward to giving something back to the journal.

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