Zoology: Understanding the Animal World

270 Pages·2017·174.94 MB·English

by  Donald E. Moore III

Topic Subtopic
Science & Mathematics Biology
Zoolog y
Understanding the Animal World
Course Guidebook
Dr. Donald E. Moore III
Director (Oregon Zoo); Senior Science Advisor
(Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)
Smithsonian®
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Donald E. Moore III, Ph.D.
Director, Oregon Zoo
Senior Science Advisor, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and
Conservation Biology Institute
Donald E. Moore III, director of the Oregon Zoo and senior science
advisor at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation
Biology Institute, is a conservation biologist with nearly 40
years of experience in wildlife conservation, animal welfare, and zoo
management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management
and Zoology and a doctoral degree in Conservation Biology from the
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and
i
Forestry, as well as a master’s degree in Public Administration from
Syracuse University.
Dr. Moore worked at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo from 2006 to 2016.
He was the associate director of the Center for Animal Care Sciences from
2006 to 2014 and served as a senior scientist for conservation programs
on assignment with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In his time
at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Dr. Moore helped implement major
renovations, such as the Elephant Trails and American Trail exhibits.
Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Dr. Moore worked at the Wildlife
Conservation Society in New York, where he was curator of Central Park
Zoo, director of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo, and cochair of the society’s
renowned Animal Enrichment Program.
Dr. Moore has led international workshops in modern zoo design and
accreditation, animal behavior and enrichment, and ecotourism in
Spain, Malaysia, and South America, where he has conducted much
of his conservation biology research. In his free time, he likes to write
and edit, producing work for both professional and popular audiences,
including writing a book for children, Disney Learning’s Wonderful World
of Animals.
Dr. Moore is passionate about climate change and the actions people
can take to help protect polar bears and other Arctic animals. He credits
his strong conservation ethic to his upbringing in upstate New York,
where he learned to fish, camp, hike, ski, and make jams and jellies. ■
ii Professor Biography
About Our Partner
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum
and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the
National Zoological Park, and 9 research facilities. The total number
of artifacts, works of art, and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collections
is estimated at 154 million. These collections represent America’s rich
heritage, art from across the globe, and the immense diversity of the
natural and cultural world.
In support of its mission—the increase and diffusion of knowledge—the
Smithsonian has embarked on four Grand Challenges that describe its
areas of study, collaboration, and exhibition: Unlocking the Mysteries
of the Universe, Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet,
Valuing World Cultures, and Understanding the American Experience.
The Smithsonian’s partnership with The Great Courses is an engaging
opportunity to encourage continuous exploration by learners of all ages
across these diverse areas of study.
This course, Zoology: Understanding the Animal World, offers a tour
through the remarkably vast scientific field that covers all aspects of
animal life, from their social habits to their intricately evolved physical
systems. You will be introduced to this field by the acknowledged
leaders in animal care, science, and education: Smithsonian’s National
Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. From predators on the African
savannah to birds of North and South America and beyond, these 24
lectures make sense of an interrelated world. The director of the Oregon
Zoo and senior science advisor at the National Zoo will cover taxonomy,
animal behavior, animal intelligence, animal ecology, and the shared and
differing physiologies among animals. Video lectures feature footage
from the National Zoo, its research parks, and animals in their natural
habitats. This highly illustrated course will make sense of the wonder of
the animal world in a way no textbook can. ■
iii
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Professor Biography ....................................... i
About Our Partner ........................................iii
Course Scope .............................................1
LECTURE GUIDES
LECTURE 1
What Do Zoologists Do? .....................................5
LECTURE 2
Animal Reproduction: Genes and Environment ................15
LECTURE 3
Mammal Reproduction: Pandas and Cheetahs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
LECTURE 4
How Animals Raise Their Young .............................35
LECTURE 5
Helpful Corals, Clams, and Crustaceans ......................45
LECTURE 6
Bees, Butterflies, and Saving Biodiversity .....................57
LECTURE 7
Deadly Invertebrates: Vectors and Parasites ...................69
iv
LECTURE 8
Bony Fish, Skates, Sharks, and Rays ..........................79
LECTURE 9
Amphibians, Metamorphosis, and Ecology ...................89
LECTURE 10
Reptiles: Adaptations for Living on Land ....................101
LECTURE 11
Beaks, Claws, and Eating like a Bird ........................113
LECTURE 12
Form and Function: Bird Nests and Eggs ....................127
LECTURE 13
Taking to the Sky: Bird Migration ...........................139
LECTURE 14
What Makes a Mammal? Hair, Milk, and Teeth ................149
LECTURE 15
Herbivore Mammals: Ruminants and Runners ................161
LECTURE 16
Carnivore Mammals: Feline, Canine, and Ursine ..............173
LECTURE 17
Primate Mammals: Diverse Forest Dwellers ..................185
LECTURE 18
Size, Structure, and Metabolism ............................197
v Table of Contents
LECTURE 19
Protection, Support, and Homeostasis ......................209
LECTURE 20
Animal Energetics and the Giant Panda Problem .............219
LECTURE 21
Ethology: Studying Animal Behavior ........................229
LECTURE 22
Think! How Intelligent Are Animals? ........................241
LECTURE 23
Combating Disease in the Animal Kingdom ..................251
LECTURE 24
Animal Futures: Frontiers in Zoology ........................265
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Bibliography ............................................273
Image Credits ..........................................280
vi Table of Contents
Scope
Zoology: Understanding
the Animal World
Zoology is the scientific study of animals, but that simple definition
belies the complexity of the discipline. Zoologists study not only
the physical and behavioral characteristics of animals, but their
interactions with their environments and all other life on the planet—
including humans. Their work takes them from laboratories to zoos to
wilderness, from exotic locations to suburban back yards, all in pursuit of
the understanding and preservation of life on Earth.
In this introduction to zoology, we will begin by adopting the zoologist’s
perspective on animal life. What do we know about animals, and what
do we still need to know? Why is animal biodiversity crucial to human
survival, and how are zoologists working to preserve that biodiversity?
Next, we move into a study of reproductive biology. This is fundamental
to any zoologist involved in conservation, because understanding how
animals reproduce is crucial to ensuring their survival. Consequently,
we will look at the myriad ways animals can reproduce—asexually,
hermaphroditically, parthenogenetically, sexually, and sometimes more
than one of the above—as well as how life history and environmental
pressures influence reproduction. We will follow this with a study of how
animals care for their children, another important piece in the puzzle of
animal survival.
Then, we will examine the animal kingdom class by class, order by order,
from the simplest invertebrates to the most complex mammals. We will
examine the specialized adaptations that unite them as well as the diversity
among them. We will look at the many economically and ecologically
1
valuable invertebrate species, both marine and terrestrial. We will also
study the invertebrate parasites that endanger human and animal lives.
Next, we will look at the vertebrate classes, from fishes to amphibians,
reptiles, and birds to the main mammal orders of Artiodactyla,
Perissodactyla, Carnivora, and our relatives the Primata. We will discover
how their unique adaptations for reproduction, respiration, feeding and
digestion, and more help each animal survive and thrive in its ecological
niche.
After learning about these taxonomic groups, we will look at some
specialized topics in zoology. We will consider the relationships between
an animal’s exterior appearance and interior functioning, looking first
at how size and structure affect an animal’s metabolism and then at the
protective and regulatory roles of such structures as skin, shells, and
bones. After this, we will consider how an animal maintains its physical
structures through its metabolic processes, and we will look at the curious
case of the giant panda—an animal whose eating habits do not align with
those of other bears.
Then, we will consider animal behavior and animal intelligence, looking at
why animals act as they do. We will look at the difference between innate
and learned behaviors and consider the nature of animal learning. We
will ask questions such as these: Can animals solve problems creatively?
Do animals have a sense of self? How do animals communicate with each
other?
Next, we will consider the issue of disease in the animal kingdom, from the
unique diseases that only affect specific animals to the zoonotic diseases
that are transmitted between animals and humans. We will discuss what
researchers are doing to discover, control, and prevent these diseases as
well as how best to prevent human exposure to zoonotic disease. Finally,
we will end the course by looking at a variety of contemporary issues in
zoological research.
22 Scope