Zoology
Zoology is the branch of biology devoted to the study of the animal kingdom (Animalia). This article discusses the history and concerns of that study. For a discussion of animals and a description of animal groups. The current study of zoology has two main focuses: on particular taxonomic groups, and on the structures and processes common to most of them. Taxonomically oriented studies concentrate on the different divisions of animal life. Invertebrate zoology deals with multicellular animals without backbones; its subdivisions include entomology (the study of insects) and malacology (the study of mollusks). Vertebrate zoology, the study of animals with backbones, is divided into ichthyology (fish), herpetology (amphibians and reptiles), ornithology (birds), and mammalogy (mammals). Paleontology , the study of fossils, is subdivided by taxonomic groups. In each of these fields, researchers investigate the classification, distribution, life cycle, and evolutionary history of the parti...