zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...

, mammalogy is the study of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...

s – a

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differently ...

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with ...

s with characteristics such as homeothermic

metabolism Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run ...

, fur, four-chambered

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as ca ...

s, and complex

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes ...

s. Mammalogy has also been known as "mastology," "theriology," and "therology." The archive of number of mammals on earth is constantly growing, but is currently set at 6,495 different mammal species including recently extinct. There are 5,416 living mammals identified on earth and roughly 1,251 have been newly discovered since 2006. The major branches of mammalogy include natural history, taxonomy and systematics, anatomy and physiology, ethology, ecology, and management and control. The approximate salary of a mammalogist varies from $20,000 to $60,000 a year, depending on their experience. Mammalogists are typically involved in activities such as conducting research, managing personnel, and writing proposals.

Research purposes

Mammalogists have stated that there are multiple reasons for the study and observation of mammals. Knowing how mammals contribute or thrive in their ecosystems gives knowledge on the ecology behind it. Mammals are often used in business industries, agriculture, and kept for pets. Studying mammals habitats and source of energy has led to aiding in survival. The domestication of some small mammals has also helped discover several different diseases, viruses, and cures.

Mammalogist

A mammalogist studies and observes mammals. In studying mammals, they can observe their habitats, contributions to the ecosystem, their interactions, and the anatomy and physiology. A mammalogist can do a broad variety of things within the realm of mammals. A mammalogist on average can make roughly $58,000 a year. This depends on employer and state.

History

The first people recorded to have researched mammals were the ancient Greeks with records on mammals that were not even native to Greece and others that were. Aristotle was one of the first to recognize whales and dolphins as mammals since up until the 18th century most of the study was done by taxonomy.

Journals

This is a list of scientific journals broadly serving mammalogists. In addition, many other more general zoology, ecology and evolution, or conservation journals also deal with mammals, and several journals are specific to only certain taxonomic groups of mammals.

References

External links