Mammalogists need to be patient, detail-oriented and critical thinkers.
Approximately 4,200 species of mammals---warm-blooded vertebrates that have hair or fur and give birth to live offspring---live on the planet. Mammalogy, a branch of zoology, concentrates on the study these mammals as well as extinct mammals. A mammalogist may study a wide-range of topics on a single species or group of species, or she might research a single topic among multiple mammal species.
General Work
Mammalogists study the physiology, role, behavior, classification and evolution of different species of mammals from elephants and platypuses to mice and shrews. They can focus a study around a specific subdivision of mammalogy such as anatomy or ethology, or include two or more subdivisions into any one study. Most mammalogists conduct their research alone, but sometimes they collaborate with others in their field or in a related field, such as an ornithologist. Once they conclude a study, they share their scientific findings with colleagues and organizations. They also publish their findings in scientific journals.
Subdivisions
Mammalogy is divided into to seven major subdivisions that, if a mammalogist is interested in natural history, he studies the animal's habitat, food, predators, reproductive states and social structure. The taxonomy and systematics subdivision requires biological scientists to study the classification of mammals as well as their evolutionary relationships to extinct animals. Anatomy and physiology subdivision deals with the mammal's body. Mammalogists interested in ethology study how a mammal's behavior affects its ability to survive and reproduce. Ecological mammalogists find out how mammals interact and adapt to their environments. Management and control focuses on studying the interactions between humans and mammals.
Training
To become a mammalogist a person needs to undergo extensive education and training. Most job positions require her to earn a doctorate degree in zoology with a concentration on mammalogy. However, some jobs only call for a master's degree. During their education, they take classes on ethology, morphology, chemistry, cell biology and research and statistics. They often complete internships or gain volunteer experience before graduation. This gives them experience and helps them build contacts in the field. To stay on top of the latest advancements in mammalogy, mammalogists usually receive continuing education throughout their career.
Careers
Mammalogists find work doing extensive research for universities that includes overseeing a staff of lab technicians, undergraduates and graduate students and writing grant proposals. Some teach at colleges and conduct limited research. Federal and state government agencies also hire mammologists to do research. Mammalogists who work in a museum curate, research and sometimes teach. Zoos hire mammalogists to study captive animals while wildlife organizations employ these scientists to observe the animals on the sanctuary.
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