On 1st January 1974, the Society of the Study of Human Biology launched its own Journal—Annals of Human Biology. During these past thirty years, the Journal has reached a level of consistency that keeps it amongst the top three human biology journals in the World. That success has been due not only to the quality of the scientific contributions but also to the dedication and commitment of the Journal's Editors. From the start, it was decided that there would be three Editors to demonstrate and encourage both wide diversity and extensive expertise. The Founding Editors, JM Tanner, GA Harrison and OG Edholm, replaced by KJ Collins in 1978, created a tradition of excellence that was continued by R Hauspie, AJ Boyce and NG Norgan in 1995 as they replaced the retiring editors, to be followed by AH Bittles in 1998 and Olga Rickards in 2004. Currently, NG Norgan and R Hauspie seek retirement after dedicated service. They will be replaced on 1st January 2006 by Noël Cameron of Loughborough University (UK) and Stephen McGarvey of Brown University (USA). These editorial changes are significant and enhance the internationality of the Journal whilst also introducing relatively new avenues of research. In particular, both new Editors have research programmes based in developing countries and have a well-recognised interest in international and environmental health. With Olga Rickards in Italy, Stephen McGarvey in the USA and Noël Cameron in the UK, the tradition of a UK published journal is maintained with the added bonus of truly international Editors bringing expertise in a broad spectrum of human biological research.
The Annals will continue to provide a forum for papers, short reports, invited reviews and letters in the field of human population biology, reporting investigations on the nature, development and causes of human variation in health and disease, embracing the disciplines of human genetics, population biology, human growth and development, nutrition, environmental physiology, ecology, epidemiology and public health.
The Society and its Journal remain committed to promoting the interests of human biology in a multi-national context and the new Editors welcome contributions, comments and support from human biologists world-wide.
The Committee
Society for the Study of Human Biology