ZOOLOGY STUDY GUIDE - Ye. O. Nevedomska - 2013

LECTURE 2. ZOOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

Did you know that

- Life originated in the ocean, but today most organisms live on land. The World Ocean is currently home to 160 thousand species of animals and plants; Mollusks rank first in Abundance (60 thousand species), followed by crustaceans (20 thousand species) in second place, and fish (16 thousand species) in third.

- The famous Russian poet Sergei Yesenin called animals 'our lesser brothers'. Living among humans since ancient times, domestic

animals help people in every possible way, making their lives easier. Since ancient times, they have provided humans with clothing, footwear, and, most importantly, food. The cow is a provider, the horse is a Cossack's companion, and the dog is a guardian and friend. There are so many of them, and they have done so much good for humanity!

^ At times, animals are capable of almost 'human' actions. For instance, dolphins often act as rescuers. There is a well-known case where a small yacht capsized under the pressure of waves off the coast of the Indian Ocean. The three crew members, finding themselves in the Water, thought their end had come—the area was teeming with bloodthirsty sharks. But then, dolphins appeared. They formed a tight ring around the yacht and the people, protecting them from the sharks. Calming down, the crew righted the yacht, bailed out the water, and sailed toward the shore. The dolphins escorted them to the breakwater, and then turned back and vanished into the ocean.