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Biology Letters

A fast, high-quality journal, publishing short research articles, reviews and opinion pieces across the biological sciences. This is a Plan S compliant Transformative Journal.
 <p><b>Cover image</b><br />A white shark swims through the clear waters off Guadalupe island, Mexico. Credit: Y. Papastamatiou. See the paper ‘Social dynamics and individual hunting tactics of white sharks revealed by biologging’ <i>Biol. Lett.</i> 20210503. DOI <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0503">10.1098/rsbl.2021.0503</a>.</p>

Current issue

Editor-In-Chief

Professor David Beerling FRS
Frequency: Monthly
ISSN (Online):1744-957X

Latest articles

16 March 2022
Group composition of individual personalities alters social network structure in experimental populations of forked fungus beetles
16 March 2022
Do male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) always prefer and signal to ‘popular’ females? The role of social information context
16 March 2022
Nocturnal lighting in animal research should be replicable and reflect relevant ecological conditions
16 March 2022
Reviewers in 2021
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Featured articles

Biology Letters

Contrasting selection pressure on body and weapon size in a polygynous megaherbivore

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common morphological trait in ungulates, with polygyny considered the leading driver of larger male body mass and weapon size. However, not all polygynous species exhibit SSD, while molecular evidence has revealed a more ...Read more
Biology Letters

Pterin-based pigmentation in animals

Pterins are one of the major sources of bright coloration in animals. They are produced endogenously, participate in vital physiological processes and serve a variety of signalling functions. Despite their ubiquity in nature, pterin-based pigmentation has ...Read more
Biology Letters

‘Dunbar's number’ deconstructed

A widespread and popular belief posits that humans possess a cognitive capacity that is limited to keeping track of and maintaining stable relationships with approximately 150 people. This influential number, ‘Dunbar's number’, originates from an ...Read more
Biology Letters

Impact of marine heatwaves for sea turtle nest temperatures

There are major concerns about the ecological impact of extreme weather events. In the oceans, marine heatwaves (MHWs) are an increasing threat causing, for example, recent devastation to coral reefs around the world. We show that these impacts extend to ...Read more

Aims and Scope

Biology Letters

Launched in 2005, Biology Letters is an online, peer-reviewed journal that publishes short, high-quality articles, reviews and opinion pieces from across the biological sciences. The scope of Biology Letters is vast — publishing high-quality research in any area of the biological sciences.

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