zoogeography
Americannoun
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the science dealing with the geographical distribution of animals.
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the study of the causes, effects, and other relations involved in such distributions.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of zoogeography
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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
On balance, it was the pushing of the zoogeography – a fairly unfamiliar aspect to so many people – that was the main impetus here.
From Scientific American • Apr. 4, 2014
His great work, as yet practically unknown, the result of a lifetime of the most painstaking labour, ranks among the most important contributions to zoogeography.
From The History of the European Fauna by Scharff, Robert Francis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
