NZJZ call for papers: Challenging traditional theory: Unexpected findings from the biodiversity of the Global South

The Global South encompasses the vast majority of the world’s biodiversity. Despite this diversity, theoretical developments in fields such as zoology, ecology, and evolution have largely been driven by research conducted outside the Global South. Due to this bias, researchers based in the Global South often encounter findings that do not align with existing theories. This discrepancy creates a number of difficulties in publishing such studies, which often end up not becoming public. This limits the advancement and refinement of scientific theories, as these results have the potential to generate novel theoretical insights.

For this special issue, we invite scholars conducting research in the Global South, including those based in New Zealand and Australia, to submit original empirical or theoretical studies that offer novel and impactful insights. Submissions must focus on contexts within the Global South and include at least one first or senior author affiliated with a research institution based in the region. We particularly welcome studies that challenge conventional paradigms or reveal unexpected findings with significant implications for theory, policy, or practice.

This special issue offers an opportunity to broaden theoretical discussions in zoology and related fields by making visible the diversity of research emerging from the Global South. By highlighting work that resists easy categorisation, we aim to foster a more inclusive and globally representative scientific discourse.

Submission information

Please email a preliminary title, list of potential authors and a short descriptive paragraph outlining the scope of your proposed manuscript by 1 July 2025 to the Managing Guest Editor, Prof. Adjunto Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto at pauloenrique@gmail.com. The guest editors will make a decision on which manuscripts to invite for the special issue and authors will be notified by 1 August 2025.

Note that an invitation to submit does not guarantee acceptance for publication, which will depend on the outcome of the usual peer-review process and authors meeting critical time schedules. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the Instructions for Authors of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology and submitted online via the journal’s submission system. Authors should select the relevant special issue title during the submission process.

The anticipated manuscript submission deadline is 31 December 2025, with the aim of getting the special issue formally published by mid-2026. Individual articles will be published online with a DOI before appearing in the compiled special issue. 

Guest Editors

Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Email: pauloenrique@gmail.com
Keywords: Agonistic interactions, mating systems, sexual selection, mating tactics, meta-analysis

Laura Carolina Leal
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
Email: lacaleal@gmail.com
Keywords: ecological interaction, animal behavior, mutualistic interactions, seed dispersal, pollination, herbivory

Alexandre Varaschin Palaoro
Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
Email: alexandre.palaoro@gmail.com  
Keywords: Decapoda; Sexual selection, Phylogentic Comparative Methods, Biomechanics, Animal Contests, Phenotypic Evolution