Zoology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zoology, also spelled zoölogy, is the branch of biology that focuses on the structure, function, behavior, and evolution of animals. The correct pronunciation of "zoology" is /zoʊˈɑləʤɪ/.^[1]

Contents 1 Systems of classification 2 Subfields of zoology 3 Notable zoologists 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Systems of classification

Morphography is the systematic exploration, tabulation, and characterization of data concerning animals, existing or extinct. It is similar to ethnography. Groups of people who have contributed to the field include:

1. Past museum-makers of and their modern descendants, the curators and annotators of zoological collections
2. Early explorers and modern naturalist travelers and writers
3. Collectors of fossils and paleontologists

[edit] Subfields of zoology

Although the study of animal life is ancient, its scientific incarnation is relatively modern. This mirrors the transition from natural history to biology at the start of the nineteenth century. Since Hunter and Cuvier, comparative anatomical study has been associated with morphography shapins the modern areas of zoological investigation: anatomy, physiology, histology, embryology, and animal behavior. Modern zoology first arose in German and British universities. In Britain, Thomas Henry Huxley was a prominent figure. His ideas were centered on the morphology of animals. Many consider him the greatest comparative anatomist of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Similar to Hunter, his courses were composed of lectures and laboratory practical classes in contrast the previous format of lectures only. This system became widely spread.

Gradually zoology expanded beyond Huxley's comparative anatomy to include the following sub-disciplines:

1. Zoography, also known as descriptive zoology, describes animals and their habitats.
2. Comparative anatomy studies the structure of animals.
3. Animal physiology
4. Molecular Biology studies the common genetic and developmental mechanisms of animals and plants
5. Ethology is the study of animal behavior.
6. Behavioral ecology
7. Evolutionary biology: See of both animals and plants is considered in the articles on evolution, population genetics, heredity, variation, Mendelism, reproduction.
8. Systematics, cladistics, phylogenetics, phylogeography, biogeography and taxonomy classify and group species via common descent and regional associations.
9. The various taxonomically-oriented disciplines such as mammalogy, herpetology, ornithology identify and classify species, and study the structures and mechanisms specific to those groups. Entomology is the study of insects, by far the largest group of animals.
10. Palaeontology

[edit] Notable zoologists

In alphabetical order by surname:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Zoology at Wikibooks.
• Books on Zoology at Project Gutenberg
• A Study Guide to Invertebrate Zoology at Wikibooks
• Online Dictionary of Invertebrate Zoology
• An online dissection pictures of animals
• Dictionary.com's discussion of pronunciation

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