Celebrating 50 Years of the Human Biology Association

At the Human Biology Association (HBA) Meetings in March, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Association. To recognize and highlight this anniversary, the American Journal of Human Biology will feature two important sets of invited contributions this year.

Invited Reviews from the AJHB's Past Editors . The previous Editors of the journal, Lynnette Sievert, Bob Malina, and Peter Ellison (with co-author Rick Bribiescas), have graciously agreed to contribute review papers on their areas of expertise. I am tremendously grateful to them for sharing their insights into these important contributions.

Invited Commentaries on Influential Papers from the AJHB . I am also inviting prominent authors to write commentaries on some of the most influential papers in the journal's history.

These contributions will span the broad scope of research encompassed by the field of human population biology, including theoretical advancements (Hawkes 2003; Walker et al. 2006), evolutionary/adaptive dimensions of human biology (Bogin and Smith 1996; Aiello and Key 2002; Steegmann, Cerny, and Holliday 2002; Wells 2010; Bigham et al. 2013), insights into human health disparities (Kuzawa and Sweet 2009; Knutson 2012; Martorell 2017; Brewis et al. 2020; Gravlee 2020), and methodological innovations (Windhager, Schaefer, and Fink 2011; Miller et al. 2013; Reitsema 2013; McDade 2014).

All of these invited commentaries will be linked to their original papers and will be “Free to Read” when published.

This year also marks a shift in how papers are published in the journal. As with most of Wiley's journals, the AJHB has transitioned to a “Continuous Model.” With this new model, papers are now published directly into issues when they are ready. Consequently, as Editor I no longer compile each monthly issue; rather, this is handled directly by our production team. Additionally, as of January 2025 (Volume 37, Issue 1), the journal will shift to a standard cover image, rather than one that changes monthly. I am very grateful to Nicky Hawley for providing the lovely photo for our new cover.

This transition eliminates the need for papers to wait in “Early View” before final publication. The new model reflects how our scholarly work is now being accessed and consumed—as individual papers rather than as entire issues.

The new model will also change how we handle Special Issues. Individual papers for Special Issues will now be published in regular monthly issues as they are ready. The full collection of all papers for a Special Issue will then appear as a “Virtual Special Issue,” posted separately on the AJHB's website.

As with any change, there are elements that we will miss. As Editor, I have enjoyed the opportunity to construct each issue of the journal and select a cover image from one of our authors. I am truly grateful to the many authors who have contributed cover photos/images over the years, showcasing the important work being done in our field.

I thank our Wiley team of Christina Tuballes, Gillian Greenough, Tyrone Prescod, Nivetha Venkataramanan, Deepa Rajamanickam, Monsour Al Hazeem, and Tom Cannon for all their support and guidance over the last year during this transition.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Baltimore from March 12 to 14, 2025 for our 50th HBA Meetings!