Journal profile · Paleontology
Palaeontologische Zeitschrift
ISSN 0031-0220 · eISSN 1867-6812 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 1914
Palaeontologische Zeitschrift: CAS Zone 3 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.5 (journal website); subscription journal; APC about USD 3,190; median 206 days to acceptance (78 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 51 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Palaeontologische Zeitschrift is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils, Evolution and Paleontology Studies and Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, together about 40.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Paleontology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Paläontologische Zeitschrift is the official publication of the Paläontologische Gesellschaft (German Palaeontological Association) and as thus aims to promote all aspects of the science of Palaeontology. The journal welcomes papers on all aspects of palaeontology, including Palaeozoology, Palaeobotany, Palaeoecology, Palaeogeography, Geobiology, theoretical and methodological aspects of palaeontological research, and contributions from related fields (e.g. biology) if relevant to palaeontology. Both high quality original research papers and review articles are welcome. Topical volumes presenting a collection of papers on a specific topic can also be proposed.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Paleontology
Editor-in-chief Carolin HaugPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 9%); most named Germany 11, Austria 4, Mainland China 3, United Kingdom 3, Italy 2 (34 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences16.4%
- Evolution and Paleontology StudiesEarth and Planetary Sciences12.3%
- Paleontology and Evolutionary BiologyEarth and Planetary Sciences12.2%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences9.5%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences6.3%
- Ichthyology and Marine BiologyEnvironmental Science5.6%
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences3.9%
- Marine and environmental studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Paleontology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Paleontology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Paleontology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIECurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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 (publisher) 2025
- 1.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.52LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- h-index
- 23LetPub ·
- h-index
- 67OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,126OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.36OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 258100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,998 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33 | 21 | 15 |
| 2025 | 51 | 31 | 67 |
| 2024 | 32 | 21 | 76 |
| 2023 | 33 | 21 | 142 |
| 2022 | 49 | 25 | 259 |
| 2021 | 62 | 41 | 722 |
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 Crossref · to
206 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 159 days – 255 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 77 days (78 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 293 days
- Sample
- 78 articles with submission and acceptance dates (90 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 24 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous 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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted4
- editorialSingle-blind peer review This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review proce…Length not stated
- research paperPaläontologische Zeitschrift publishes three different types of contributions, Review Articles, Research Papers, and Short Communications. Review Articles are s…Length not stated
- review articlePaläontologische Zeitschrift publishes three different types of contributions, Review Articles, Research Papers, and Short Communications. Review Articles are s…Length not stated
- short communicationPaläontologische Zeitschrift publishes three different types of contributions, Review Articles, Research Papers, and Short Communications. Review Articles are s…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions required for previously published material Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in PalZ, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Single-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.
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
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1914
- ISSN
- 0031-0220
- Electronic ISSN
- 1867-6812
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 100, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Palaeontologische Zeitschrift
What CAS zone is Palaeontologische Zeitschrift in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Palaeontologische Zeitschrift is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Paleontology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Palaeontologische Zeitschrift?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.5 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 67.
How long does peer review take at Palaeontologische Zeitschrift?
Based on the dates recorded on 78 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 206 days (interquartile range 159–255 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Palaeontologische Zeitschrift?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Palaeontologische Zeitschrift based?
Of the 34 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (11), Austria (4) and Mainland China (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Palaeontologische Zeitschrift?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Palaeontologische Zeitschrift is indexed in Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Palaeontologische Zeitschrift open access, and what is the APC?
Palaeontologische Zeitschrift is a subscription journal. APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .