MAMMALOGY: ORIGIN, WHAT IT STUDIES, RESEARCH EXAMPLE - BIOLOGY - 2024

The mastozoología is the term used to refer to the area of zoology that is responsible for studying everything related to mammals. Currently the word mammalogy is not so widely used in the world and this discipline is better known as mamiferology.

Mammals are those living beings that are characterized by having mammary glands, in addition to the fact that their bodies are usually covered by hairs. It is estimated that there are more than five thousand different species of mammals in the world, with sizes that can vary from very large specimens to small vertebrates.

Portrait of Clinton Hart Merriam, considered the father of mammalogy. Source: Internet Archive Book Images, via Wikimedia Commons.

Mamiferology, among other things, has determined that mammals can adapt more or less easily to different ecosystems; they can inhabit areas of land, water or air and occupy different geographical areas. Over the years, special attention is paid to groups that are on the way to extinction.

Origin

The first time the term mammalogy was referred to occurred during the 19th century. It was in France that it appeared for the first time.

The zoologists of this European country were in charge of popularizing the word. It is made up of three terms of Greek origin: mastos, zoon and logía. The word mastos means mother. Whereas zoon refers to the term animal. All this is linked to the word logía that means study.

Although the word first appeared in the 19th century, mammalogy is a science that has been practiced for a long time. Some scholars claim that it can be traced back to prehistoric times.

The first record of research on mammals was made by the Greeks in ancient times. They even registered species that were not even native to or from the Greek territory.

Aristotle was one of the first people to recognize that animals such as whales and dolphins were part of the group of mammals. Although it was not until the eighteenth century that taxonomy appeared, which was the science that was responsible for grouping or classifying organisms.

What does mastrozoology study?

The area of ​​study of mammalogy is very broad. This area of ​​zoology is responsible for investigating from the most basic aspects of mammals, to carrying out applied technical experiments.

The studies also cover different areas of knowledge. Mastozoology can include fields such as ecology, behavior, morphology, parasitology, genetics, the evolutionary area, disciplines such as paleontology, physiology, among others.

Mastozoologists are in charge of carrying out all pertinent studies in this area. They can work in academic institutions or in private companies that are in charge of monitoring the impact that there is on the environment.

The presence of mammography specialists in government positions is also common, especially in positions that have to do with the environment or health. In non-profit organizations they are in charge of promoting the conservation of biodiversity.

Studying mammals is of great importance to society. The studies of these groups of animals allow obtaining data that can be applied in other sectors, especially those that have to do with health and the ecosystem.

Knowledge about mammals has been relevant to understanding some diseases. They are currently considered as an important component to plan for environmental impact, to determine the sustainable use of natural resources and in the search for a better lifestyle.

Research example

Mammalogy has a very broad field of study. That is why the investigations that have been carried out can be divided into different branches of science.

For example, it has been possible to study natural history thanks to mammalogy research, since the lifestyle of different species has been defined. These investigations made it possible to know about the type of habitat of each organism, the diet they carried, how they reproduced and their social structure.

In addition, investigations have to do with taxonomy. These studies have made it possible to classify the different species of mammals by ordering them according to families, genera and species.

Research on the anatomy and physiology of mammals has made it possible to decipher the structures and body tissues that make up the species. This in turn helped to understand how each mammal works.

In the field of ecology, the research provided information on how mammals could interact with the environment in which they were found.

Many investigations that were conducted in the past and those that are conducted today may involve factors from two or more areas of study.

Furthermore, many of the researchers who study mammals do not consider themselves to be mammalogs. Some consider that their expertise lies in mastering fields such as physiology or ethology, areas that also use mammals for their research.

Authors

Clinton Hart Merriam (1855-1942) was named as the father of mammalogy. At the age of 18 he published a biological study on mammals and birds.

In addition there are other authors such as Vernon Orlando Bailey (1864-1942) who was an American naturalist specialized in mammalogy. His most important contribution was that he classified more than 13 thousand species.

Universities

The University of Oxford publishes one of the most important journals on mammalogy. The university magazine is highly respected internationally. It is published six times a year and presents original research on the discipline and all aspects that have to do with mammalian biology.

Louisiana State University is also a landmark for mammalogy. They have a natural science museum where there is a collection of more than 48 thousand species. It is among the largest collections in the entire country.

In the museum you can find more than 20 holotypes, which are new or newly discovered species by science. The mammals of the southeastern United States are well explained in this museum, as are the Neotropical species, with groups of mammals common in parts of Peru, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Organizations

The American Society of Mastozoologists (ASM) and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) are two of the most important organizations in the world.

The first brings together more than two thousand members who work in different aspects of mammalogy. It gives access to scholarships for research, publications in the area and education. The second is a non-profit organization. Its objective is to spread all the information about mammalogy.

Private sector

The private sector is primarily responsible for two types of research on mammals. The first type of study has to do with toxicology, since they seek to determine the effects that chemicals have on living beings. These investigations are usually carried out in laboratories.

The second type of research they pay special attention to has to do with field ecology. It basically refers to field studies of mammals and is done thanks to different capture techniques and the use of telemetry.

References

1. Birney, E., & Choate, J. (1994). Seventy-five years of mammalogy, 1919-1994.: American Society of Mammalogists.
2. Feldhamer, G. (2007). Mammalogy. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press.
3. Gunderson, H. (1976). Mammalogy. New York: McGraw-Hill.
4. Hall, E., & Jones, J. (1969). Contributions in mammalogy.: University of Kansas.
5. Vaughan, T., Ryan, J., & Czaplewski, N. (2015). Mammalogy (6th ed.). Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.