Journal of Thermal Biology

Environment, Evolution and Medicine

The Journal of Thermal Biology publishes research that advances a mechanistic and organism-centred understanding of how temperature influences humans and animals. The principal focus of the journal is the physiological, biophysical, behavioural, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying thermal biology and thermoregulation, spanning levels of biological organisation from cells to whole organisms.

Contributions should provide clear insight into thermal processes, constraints, and responses of organisms themselves, including heat transfer, tolerance, regulation, and performance across thermal environments. Studies are expected to move beyond purely descriptive or correlative patterns to elucidate mechanisms, processes, or testable biological principles relevant to thermal biology. Moreover, it is also expected that studies are focused on thermo-physiological outcomes.

The main themes of the journal are:

• thermal limits, heat and cold injury, and organismal resistance and vulnerability to thermal extremes

• physiological, cellular, and evolutionary mechanisms of acclimation, acclimatization, and thermal adaptation

• mechanistic bases of hibernation, torpor, dormancy, aestivation, and diapause

• temperature-dependent processes influencing reproduction, development, growth, ageing, exercise, and lifespan

• biophysical and physiological modelling of heat transfer between organisms and their environments

• organismal responses to temperature in the context of environmental variability and climate change, with emphasis on underlying mechanisms

• conservation physiology and organismal thermal biology, where temperature-dependent mechanisms inform vulnerability or resilience

• behavioural and physiological regulation of body temperature, including stress responses, fever, and pathophysiology

• medical and translational applications of hypo- and hyperthermia grounded in thermal biology

• effects of exercise on thermoregulation, as well as strategies that may influence these responses (environmental factors, clothing and equipment, acclimatization, heat dissipation or gain strategies, etc.)

• development and validation of experimental and analytical methods for quantifying thermal responses in humans and animals

Unsuitable manuscripts

Manuscripts that only indirectly address physiological, biophysical, behavioural, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying thermal biology will not be considered. For example, descriptive studies summarising broad physiological changes associated with heat or cold stress, correlative studies examining biogeographical changes in distribution in relation to climate change, or studies where the primary focus is not on thermal biology may not be suitable. If in any doubt, please send a copy of your abstract directly to the Editor in Chief to discuss further.