zoogeography

American  

[zoh-uh-jee-og-ruh-fee] / ˌzoʊ ə dʒiˈɒg rə fi /

noun

1. the science dealing with the geographical distribution of animals.

2. the study of the causes, effects, and other relations involved in such distributions.

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zoogeography British  

/ ˌzəʊəˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪk, ˌzəʊədʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the branch of zoology concerned with the geographical distribution of animals

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zoogeography Scientific  

/ zō′ə-jē-ŏg′rə-fē /

1. The scientific study of the geographic distribution of animals.

2. See more at biogeography

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Other Word Forms

• zoogeographer noun
• zoogeographic adjective
• zoogeographical adjective
• zoogeographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of zoogeography

First recorded in 1865–70; zoo- + geography

Explanation

Zoogeography is the branch of the natural sciences that studies where, why, and how animals ended up in different parts of the world. It answers questions like "Why are koalas only native to Australia?" and "Where are geckos found?" While the name suggests that it's a subfield of geography, zoogeography is actually a branch of biogeography, which falls under the umbrella of biology. Zoogeographers study animal distribution: where specific species are found today and where they lived in the past. By examining evolutionary shifts and geological changes — like the movement of continents — they can determine the processes that led animals to their current habitats.

Example Sentences

There I was talking about the concept of zoogeography: what animals live in what areas and what parts of the world, and why are they different from one another?

From The Verge • Jun. 9, 2018

Each of these fields considers both zoogeography and phytogeography—the past and present distribution of animals and plants.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Were you coming up with the speculative animals first, or were you led by the zoogeography angle?

From Scientific American • Apr. 4, 2014

Dougal: So, we’ve spoken now about After Man, which is about future evolution, and The New Dinosaurs, which is about zoogeography.

From Scientific American • Apr. 4, 2014

Consequently, an understanding of the systematics and zoogeography of the genus can be expected to be of aid in studying more specialized members of the family.

From Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca by Duellman, William E.