Journal profile · Evolutionary Biology
Journal of Human Evolution
ISSN 0047-2484 · eISSN 1095-8606 · Academic Press Inc. · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1972
Journal of Human Evolution: CAS Zone 1 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,990; median 185 days to acceptance (97 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 85 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Human Evolution is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 1 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology, Primate Behavior and Ecology and Evolution and Paleontology Studies, together about 51.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Human Evolution concentrates on publishing the highest quality papers covering all aspects of human evolution. The central focus is aimed jointly at paleoanthropological work, covering human and primate fossils, and at comparative studies of living species, including both morphological and molecular evidence. These include descriptions of new discoveries, interpretative analyses of new and previously described material, and assessments of the phylogeny and paleobiology of primate species. Submissions should address issues and questions of broad interest in paleoanthropology.In addition to original research papers, space is allocated for the rapid publication of short communications on new discoveries, such as exciting new fossils, as well as to lead book reviews and obituariesResearch Areas Include:Paleoanthropological work, covering human and primate fossilsComparative studies of living species, including both morphological and molecular evidencePrimate systematics and phylogeny, behaviorFunctional studies, particularly relating to diet and locomotionBody size and allometric studiesStudies in Paleolithic archaeologyTaphonomic, stratigraphical, and geochronological studies supporting fossil evidence for primate and human evolutionGenetic and paleoproteomic approaches to human evolutionPaleoecological and paleogeographical models for primate and human evolutionPlease see the Guide for Authors for further information.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Evolutionary Biology
Editor-in-chief Radu IovitaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 12, United Kingdom 5, Spain 5, Mainland China 3, South Africa 2 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences20.7%
- Primate Behavior and EcologyPsychology16.8%
- Evolution and Paleontology StudiesEarth and Planetary Sciences13.7%
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArts and Humanities9.5%
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.3%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science4.5%
- Morphological variations and asymmetryMathematics3.3%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.59LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.44LetPub ·
- h-index
- 112LetPub ·
- h-index
- 210OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,727OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.35OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 15.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 65LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,806 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 24 | 11 |
| 2025 | 85 | 55 | 183 |
| 2024 | 77 | 59 | 300 |
| 2023 | 100 | 67 | 971 |
| 2022 | 98 | 57 | 1,182 |
| 2021 | 120 | 60 | 1,717 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
185 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 125 days – 276 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 30 days (97 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 214 days
- Sample
- 97 articles with submission and acceptance dates (136 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 48%Publisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 198 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 34 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,990 / EUR 3,730 / GBP 3,190 / JPY 494,880 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,270 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted10, with length limits
- book reviewplies, are subject to peer review. Lead book reviews and obituaries Normally less than 4000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, references and captmain text ≤ 4,000 words
- commentariesCommentaries may be on recently published papers, whether in JHE or elsewhere. These are normally less than 3000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, r…Length not stated
- commentaryCommentaries may be on recently published papers, whether in JHE or elsewhere. These are normally less than 3000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, r…main text ≤ 3,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 4
- lead book reviews and obituariesNormally less than 4000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, references and captions).Length not stated
- research articleess of type are subject to peer review. Research articles Research articles can be any length up to 150 pages/45,000 words (including tables and references), su…main text ≤ 45,000 words
- research articlesResearch articles can be any length up to 150 pages/45,000 words (including tables and references), subject to limitations on space.Length not stated
- reviewnline Material of any length. Synthetic reviews Synthetic review papers can be any length (up to 150 pages/45,000 words, including tables and references). A pre…main text ≤ 45,000 words
- short communicationementary Online Material of any length. Short Communications Short Communications are normally less than 3000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, refe…main text ≤ 3,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 4
- short communicationsShort Communications are normally less than 3000 words (excluding title page, acknowledgments, references and captions) and include up to 4 figures or tables an…Length not stated
- synthetic reviewsSynthetic review papers can be any length (up to 150 pages/45,000 words, including tables and references).Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1972
- ISSN
- 0047-2484
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-8606
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Human Evolution
What CAS zone is Journal of Human Evolution in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Human Evolution is in Zone 1 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Anthropology / Evolutionary Biology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Human Evolution?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.17; CiteScore 6.1, h-index 210.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Human Evolution?
Based on the dates recorded on 97 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 185 days (interquartile range 125–276 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 48%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Human Evolution based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), United Kingdom (5) and Spain (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Human Evolution?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Human Evolution is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Human Evolution open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Human Evolution is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,990.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .