A numerical perspective on Nature authors.

Nigel Bennett at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, is part of an international collaboration that has been working hard to put Damaraland mole-rats (Cryptomys damarensis) on the map. Bennett takes his group on regular field trips all over the country to study these creatures. Field trips are a great environment for discussing ideas and getting to know your animal, says Bennett. His group works well as a team, he adds — always willing to help each other and often combining efforts to write up multidisciplinary papers. On page 795, the group shows that, within colonies of mole-rats, there is a small set of workers who are not as diligent as the rest. Rather than searching for food, these slacker animals laze about, eat more than their share of the colony's food — and simply get fat.

13 submissions to Nature have come from South Africa since January 2006 (<1% total submissions).

14 students and postdocs work in Nigel Bennett's group.

15 authors working in South Africa have published original research in Nature in the past year.

75% of papers published in Nature that have contributing authors from South Africa have been in the biological sciences.