Zoology: Inside the Secret World of Animals

Book Details

Author	DK
Publisher	DK
Year	2019
Language	English
Pages	416
Size	103.18 MB
Extension	PDF

Summary

Zoology: Inside the Secret World of Animals is a lavishly visual tour through the foundations of animal science. True to DK’s hallmark style, the book uses detailed cutaways, macro photography, and data-rich diagrams to reveal how animals are put together, how they function, and why different groups evolved the strategies we see today. Across its 416 pages, readers move from first principles to living systems: starting with the building blocks of life, cell structure, and the genetic toolkit of evolution, then scaling up to tissues, organs, and whole body plans that define major animal lineages.

The opening sections establish the logic of classification and phylogeny—how scientists group animals based on shared ancestry—and introduce the great branches of life: from simple, ancient invertebrates to sophisticated vertebrates. The heart of the book then explores anatomy by system. Musculoskeletal layouts show how skeletons and muscles combine to support movement on land, in water, and in the air. Respiratory and circulatory diagrams compare gills, book lungs, tracheal systems, and four-chambered hearts, underscoring the tight link between metabolism and habitat. Sensory pages unpack the hardware of perception: compound eyes versus camera eyes, echolocation, electroreception, magnetoreception, and the chemical languages of smell and taste.

Behavior receives equal attention. Accessible spreads examine communication and sociality—from the solitary strategies of ambush predators to the complex societies of eusocial insects and cooperative mammals. Courtship, mating systems, parental care, and life histories are presented with clear visuals that help readers see trade-offs between offspring number, investment, and survival. Migration and navigation are treated as engineering problems animals have solved with sun compasses, polarized light, star maps, geomagnetic cues, and learned routes.

Ecology ties everything together. Habitat profiles move through deserts, grasslands, forests, freshwater, coasts, and the deep ocean, highlighting keystone species, energy flow, trophic pyramids, and nutrient cycling. Case-study pages show how form fits function: the hydrodynamics of a tuna’s crescent tail, the heat-exchange anatomy of an arctic fox, the shock-absorbing keratin of a woodpecker’s beak, or the elastic recoil in a flea’s jump. Conservation chapters frame biodiversity loss and climate change, explaining concepts like extinction risk, invasive species, rewilding, and protected-area design.

Throughout, the book keeps specialist vocabulary approachable. Sidebars decode scientific methods—camera trapping, radio telemetry, population sampling, genomics—so readers see where our knowledge comes from and how it changes. Whether you’re a student, a wildlife enthusiast, or a casual browser, this is an inviting one-volume reference that rewards deep reading and quick dipping alike.

Key Features

• Big-picture structure: Moves logically from cells and tissues to organs, body plans, behavior, and ecosystems, reinforcing how levels of biology connect.
• Comparative anatomy at a glance: Cutaway artworks and cross-sections place multiple species side by side for instant comparison.
• Clear taxonomy: Phylogenetic trees, clade notes, and iconography make animal classification intuitive without dumbing it down.
• Sensory deep dives: Dedicated spreads on sight, sound, smell, mechanoreception, echolocation, electroreception, and magnetoreception.
• Behavior & life history: Courtship, mating systems, parental care, migration, territoriality, and social structures explained with examples.
• Habitat and biome portraits: Deserts, forests, wetlands, freshwater, coasts, open ocean, and polar regions with food webs and adaptations.
• Evolution made visual: Step-by-step diagrams show how natural selection shapes form and function over generations.
• Method matters: Panels on field techniques (tracking, tagging, surveys) and lab methods (DNA barcoding, imaging, microscopy).
• Conservation lens: Up-to-date concepts on threats, IUCN categories, reintroduction programs, corridors, and citizen science.
• Glossary & index: Quick look-ups make it a practical desk companion for coursework and casual reference.
• Designed for browsing: Modular spreads mean you can read cover-to-cover or sample topics independently.
• All-ages appeal: Engaging visuals for younger readers with enough depth to satisfy advanced learners.

About Author

DK (Dorling Kindersley) is a global publisher renowned for highly visual, fact-checked reference books. Instead of a single-author narrative, DK titles are created by editorial teams working with scientists, illustrators, photographers, and subject specialists. This collaborative model produces accessible explanations paired with detailed artwork and photography. DK’s science and nature list includes best-selling encyclopedias and museum-affiliated projects, and its books are widely used by students, teachers, and lifelong learners who want trustworthy information presented with clarity and style.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What can I learn by reading this book ?

A: You’ll gain a clear, visual understanding of how animals are built and why they behave as they do. The book explains anatomy (skeletons, muscles, organs), senses and communication, reproduction and life cycles, ecological roles, and evolutionary adaptations—across both invertebrates and vertebrates. You’ll also encounter modern research methods and conservation ideas that show how zoologists study and protect wildlife.

Q: This book is suitable for beginners?

A: Yes. It’s written to be accessible to newcomers, including motivated middle-school and high-school readers, undergraduates in introductory courses, and adult learners. The visuals reduce jargon, and each spread stands alone, so you can learn in small, digestible steps.

Q: This book is recommended for professionals?

A: It’s an excellent visual reference for educators, nature communicators, and anyone who needs clear diagrams and comparative overviews. While specialists will look to primary literature for cutting-edge detail, the book’s breadth, diagrams, and case studies make it a handy teaching and briefing resource.