Great Basin Naturalist
About This Journal
Great Basin Naturalist was published from 1939 to 1999 and was succeeded by the Western North American Naturalist. With a few exceptions, the journal published experimental and descriptive research pertaining to the biological natural history of western North America, focusing primarily on the Intermountain States.
History
The journal was founded in 1939 by Vasco M. Tanner with the encouragement and support of Brigham Young University President, Franklin Stewart Harris. At that time, the journal served the needs of the BYU Zoology Department and was closely associated with the developing museum collections. In the early years, notably during World War II, the annual volume was limited to 1 or 2 issues combining the quarterly numbers. From 1967 forward, 4 quarterly issues per year became the norm.
In the 1970s under Stephen L. Wood, an editorial board was established so that better editorial care and peer-review could be provided. A new larger format was established to accommodate double columns and larger tables and figures. In 1975 the editorial office became housed at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum.
Editors
- 1939 to 1970 Vasco M. Tanner
- 1971 to 1990 Stephen L. Wood
- 1990 to1993 James R. Barnes
- 1994 to 1999 Richard W. Baumann