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Molecular Biology and Evolution

peer-reviewed scientific journal

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 30, 2026
Entity authorityQ1992656 ↗
Source-derived summary

Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE) is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. It publishes work in the intersection of molecular biology and evolutionary biology. The founding editors were Walter Fitch and Masatoshi Nei; the present editors-in-chief are Brandon Gaut and Claudia Russo.

Subject matter

Evolution is the most fundamental of biological processes. MBE publishes patterns and processes that impact the evolution of life at molecular levels, across a full breadth of taxonomy, genomic organization, and functions, forms, and phenotypes. MBE's Methods, Resource, and Protocol sections include research tools that enable discoveries, while the Reviews and Perspectives synthesize different aspects of the evolutionary thought.

Editorial process

All MBE manuscripts are peer-reviewed. Decisions to publish are made by the Board of Editors, led by the Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) that oversee processing and set the direction of the journal. The board also includes Associate Editors (AEs) who solicit peer reviews and make an initial recommendation and the Senior Editors (SEs) who make the final recommendation that lead to the decision for each manuscript.

Management

MBE is entirely owned by The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE).

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Molecular Biology and Evolution” as peer-reviewed scientific journal. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current 197-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1983. The account is most persuasive where Molecular, Biology and Evolution can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as peer-reviewed scientific journal. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1992656. 6 of 7 selected statements include explicit references; 5 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Molecular Biology and Evolution”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Molecular Biology and Evolution primary sources, Molecular Biology and Evolution archive and Molecular research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Molecular Biology and Evolution”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Subject index

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Molecular Biology and Evolution” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.