The American Society of Naturalists was founded in 1883 and is one of the oldest professional societies dedicated to the biological sciences in North America. The purpose of the Society is "to advance and diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles so as to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences."
The society publishes the scientific journal, American Naturalist and holds an annual meeting with a scientific program of symposia and contributed papers and posters. Since 1993, it has awarded each year the Sewall Wright Award in honor of Sewall Wright to a biologist making fundamental contributions to the conceptual unification of the biological sciences.