Zoology 

Share

Latest news on zoology, providing comprehensive coverage of animals, new species, animal behaviour, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders, primates, whales, anatomy, physiology, ethology and the zoologists who study them.

Zoology is the branch of biology devoted to the study of animals, including their classification, anatomy, physiology, behaviour, development and ecology. A zoologist may work in the field, in laboratories, in museums or in zoological parks, studying everything from insects and spiders to whales and primates.

Many of the field's key subjects run through the news. Taxonomy and morphology help scientists describe and name new species, embryology and genetic research reveal how animal bodies develop and evolve, and cell and molecular biology explain how organisms work at the smallest scale.

Animal behaviour is another major theme. Ethology, the study of how animals behave in natural conditions, was shaped by researchers who won a Nobel Prize in 1973 for their work on social behaviour patterns, and today scientists study subjects such as animal cognition, communication, sleep and migration.

Zoology also faces serious challenges. Habitat loss, climate change and disease threaten many species, and conservation biology, ecology and breeding programmes in zoological parks and aquariums aim to protect endangered animals and restore wild populations.

The study of animals has a long history. Aristotle is often called the father of zoology for describing and classifying hundreds of species, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus developed a classification system still used today, and the Zoological Society of London, founded in 1826, created the world's oldest scientific zoo.

The NewsNow Zoology feed gathers the latest headlines on zoology, animals, new species, animal behaviour, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and ethology, updated throughout the day from reliable science and nature sources.