Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

The Phenomenon of Zoology via Art

Abstract

Abraham Tamir

Zoology is the branch of biology that deals with animals and their life, including the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek word “animal”. It can be broken down into numerous sub-disciplines such as: ornithology (the study of birds), primatology (the study of primates), ichthyology (the study of fish), and entomology (the study of insects). As a whole, zoology encompasses a fascinating and important body of knowledge that enables us to better understand animals, wildlife, our environment and ourselves. It was Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E) who is considered as the “father of zoology”. His contribution to zoology includes vast quantities of information about the variety, structure and behavior of animals, the analysis of the part of living organisms and the beginning of the science of taxonomy. In the ‘History of Animals’ he looked at the physiology of animals, comparing and contrasting the organs and their specific functions. He noted how the same organs varied in different animals and documented how the same organs possessed completely different functions. He related this to the lifestyle and the habitat of the species, pointing out how organs differ according to whether the animal lives on land, flies or is aquatic, and whether the animal breathes air or not. The 1859 publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was a major turning point. Since that time, the study of genetics has become essential in zoological studies.