Zoology: An Evolutionary and Ecological Perspective Chapter 1 Zoology: An Evolutionary and Ecological Perspective

Animal Extinction “no longer exists” Has increased dramatically in recent years Seriously threatened habitats: Rain forests Grasslands Marshes Deserts Coral reefs

Animal Extinction Causes: Mostly due to habitat destruction Tropical rainforest reduced to 44% Forest coverage in Ecuador reduced by 95%

Animal Extinction Other causes include: Climate change Pollution Foreign species invasion

Endangered species – an imminent danger of extinction throughout its range (where it lives) Threatened species – likely to become endangered in the near future

1,824 foreign species endangered or threatened 2003 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Zoology: The study of animals Because of the large variety and complexity of animals zoology is the broadest field in science 300,000 species of beetles 20,000 species of bony fish Zoologists specialize in subdisciplines……

(structural, functional, ecological aspects) Specializations (structural, functional, ecological aspects) Anatomy: Study of the structure of entire organisms and their parts. Cytology: Study of cell structure & function. Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms with their environment. Embryology: Study of the development of animal from fertilized egg to birth/hatching. Genetics: Study of mechanisms of transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

Specializations (structural, functional, ecological aspects) Histology: Study of tissues. Molecular Biology: Study of subcellular details of structure and function. Parasitology: Study of animals that live in/on other organisms at the host’s expense. Physiology: Study of the function of organisms and their parts. Systematics: Study of the classifications of, and the evolutionary interrelationships among animal groups.

Specializations (Groups of animals) Entomology: Herpetology: Ichthyology: Mammalogy: Ornithology: Protozoology: Study of insects Study of amphibians and reptile Study of fishes Study of mammals Study of birds Study of protozoans