A numerical perspective on Nature authors.

Biological sciences dominated original research in Nature during this year's third quarter — accounting for 59% of all papers published between July and September. And it is three papers in the biological sciences that have attracted the most web traffic during this time.

The paper most accessed online describes how changes in a highly conserved protein in garter snakes explain the predators' sensitivity to a toxin produced by their prey, newts (S. L. Geffeney et al. Nature 434, 759–763; 2005).

The second shows how genetic mutations of a protein in clams can lead to the accumulation of toxins (V. M. Bricelj et al. Nature 434, 763–767; 2005). And the third sheds some light on the genes that mediate breast cancer metastasis to the lung (A. J. Minn et al. Nature 436, 518–524; 2005).

1,696 authors were published in Nature between July and September 2005.

252 papers reporting original research were published in Nature between July and September 2005.

29,464 is the number of times the most accessed paper (by S. L. Geffeney et al.) was viewed online between July and September 2005.

38 is the number of countries in which Nature authors published from July to September 2005 live and work.