Proudly published by Oxford University Press, a department of Oxford University.
2022 marks the 113th year of continuous publication for the AGA's journal. First published as the American Breeders Magazine in 1910, the name became Journal of Heredity in 1914, when the American Breeders' Society became the American Genetic Association. From its inception, the journal was devoted to the 'new science' that arose from Darwin's theory of evolution and Mendel's discoveries of the laws of inheritance.
Initially, the journal sought to communicate the principles of heredity to animal and plant breeders, with an emphasis on practical improvements. In its early years, Journal of Heredity was inevitably drawn into the debate over human breeding and eugenics, and included articles on this topic by David Starr Jordan, Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Davenport, among others.
Electronic access to these early issues, and to the entire Journal of Heredity archive, is a benefit of AGA membership. Perusal of this archive provides a unique perspective on advances in the science of genetics throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Across its history, virtually every major figure in the field has contributed to the Journal. As genetic science has progressed, the Journal's scope has shifted, away from emphasis on practical applications of animal, plant and human breeding to its current focus on primary research in organismal genomics and evolutionary diversity.
Visit the Editor's Choice page on the Journal's website to view a selection of recent exciting articles freely available to the public. Also free to read online are our special issues, describing cutting-edge research presented at the AGA President's Symposia.
To become a member of the AGA and subscribe to the Journal, click here:
Any questions? Contact the Managing Editor at theaga@theaga.org.