Task: Zoology

Zoology

Zoology is the scientific study of the characteristics and classification of animals. It is one of the branches of biology, and therefore it is also referred to as animal biology. There are several sub-branches within this field, including ethology, zoography, and anthrozoology. Additionally, zoologists often specialize in the study of specific types of animals. For instance, an ornithologist studies birds, while a mammologist studies mammals. As zoology is a very interdisciplinary subject, there are a number of related fields, including taxonomy, paleontology, and evolutionary biology.

“Zoo-” is a Greek root meaning “animal” or “life”. Any word you see beginning with “zoo” will pertain to something involving animals – not necessarily a Zoo. The suffix -logy comes from the Greek word “logos”, meaning the science or study of.

Sub Branches of Zoology

Common sub-branches of zoology include:

zoography

ethology

paleozoology

anthrozoology

Zoography

Zoography is the description of animals and the environments in which they live. These descriptions are often extremely detailed, and may also include information about the animal's behavior or eating habits. A related subfield is ethology, which is the study of animal behavior.

Ethologists

Ethologists tend to focus more on behavior characteristics rather than specific types of animals, and may study many different species. Common behaviors studied include imprinting, aggression, emotion, and communication.

Paleozoology

Paleozoology is the study of animals that have been declared extinct. This includes animals like dinosaurs, but also things like certain fish and insects that have closer counterparts in modern times. The findings from this type of research are used to understand the physiology and behavior of extinct animals, but also for gaining insight into modern animal that descended from extinct ones. Cryptozoology, another subfield, attempts to reveal the existence of animals that are only rumored to exist, such as the Loch Ness monster and yeti. Cryptozoologists, however, may also do field studies if an animal declared extinct previously has been rediscovered.

Anthrozoology

Some zoologists choose to focus on the study of how humans and animals interact. This is called anthrozoology, and can include the study of how animals were domesticated, how humans think about animals, and the bonds formed between humans and animals. It's often connected with studies of animal rights, ethology, and psychology. Other researchers in anthrozoology focus on veterinary medicine, or on how animals can be used in therapy for humans.