Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

of these zoos were private. Others were

open to the public. In the 1700s zoos

were set up in major cities of Europe,

including Vienna, Austria; Madrid,

Spain; and Paris, France. By the middle

of the 1800s zoos were being opened all

over the world. Today there are more

than 1,000 zoos.

#More to explore

Animal • Endangered Species

Zoology

Zoology is the study of animal life. Scientists

who work in this field are called

zoologists. They study all different kinds

of animals, from tiny amoebas to

humans to giant whales.

Zoology is divided into many different

areas. The name of each is based on the

group of animals that is studied. For

A zookeeper feeds a California condor

chick that will be set free when it is grown.

The keeper hides behind a puppet so that

the bird will not lose its fear of humans.

Many zoos try to help endangered animals

like the California condor.

108 Zoology BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

example, entomology is the study of

insects and mammalogy is the study of

mammals.

Some zoologists examine animals’

bodies and how they live. They may

answer questions about how the

animals behave, how their bodies work,

or how they live in their environment.

Other zoologists study how animals

have evolved, or changed, over time.

One of the greatest zoologists was

Charles Darwin. He developed the

theory of evolution.

Zoologists often study animals in the

wild. They may also take animals back to

a lab to study them more closely. They

may draw or photograph the animals or

look at them under a microscope.

Some zoologists study animals that are

extinct, or no longer living. They may

look at fossils, or remains, of extinct

animals. Living relatives of extinct animals

may also help zoologists understand

how animals lived long ago.

#More to explore

Animal • Evolution

Zoroastrianism

The religion known as Zoroastrianism

was founded in the 500s BC by an Iranian

named Zoroaster. Most followers of

the religion live in India. There the religion

is known as Parsiism.

Zoroastrians believe the world is

involved in a struggle between good and

evil. They worship one supreme god,

Ahura Mazda, the creator of the world

and all good things. Evil is represented

by Ahriman, creator of all bad things.

Zoroastrians believe that in the end all

evil will be destroyed. They are expected

to turn away from evil. Giving to others

and being truthful are important.

Children become Zoroastrians at age 7

or 10. They receive two sacred garments,

a sadre (shirt) and kusti (girdle). They are

to wear these garments through their

whole lives.

A zoologist goes underwater to study a

mammal called a manatee.

Zoroastrian priests perform a

ceremony to bring a child into

the Zoroastrian religion.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Zoroastrianism 109

 

Fire is an important symbol in

Zoroastrianism. Followers of the

religion say prayers every day, often in

front of a fire. The main ceremony

involves sacrificing a sacred liquor while

reading from a sacred book called the

Avesta. Zoroastrians also perform

cleansing rituals to keep away evil

spirits.

Zoroastrianism spread slowly from Persia

(now Iran) to other countries. It

became the official religion of Persia in

AD 224. Eventually, Islam took over as

the major religion there. Most Zoroastrians

left Persia to settle in India. Today,

followers of Zoroastrianism live in about

20 countries.

#More to explore

Islam • Persia

Zuni

The Zuni are Native Americans of western

New Mexico. They are one of a

group of tribes known as Pueblo Indians.

They live in a pueblo, or village,

that is also named Zuni. They call themselves

Ashiwi.

Like other Pueblo Indians, the Zuni

traditionally built large houses with

several stories. They built the houses

out of blocks of sun-baked clay, called

adobe. The Zuni grew corn, squash,

beans, and sunflowers. They also fished

and hunted deer, antelope, and other

animals.

In 1539 a black slave named Esteban

arrived in Zuni lands. He had come

from Mexico with a Spanish priest

named Marcos de Niza. Niza was looking

for the Seven Cities of Cibola, famed

cities of great wealth that did not actually

exist. Niza sent Esteban ahead to

meet the Zuni. The Zuni killed Esteban,

and Niza went back to Mexico. He

announced that he had found the Seven

Cities. Then other Spanish explorers

went through Zuni lands looking for the

cities. The most famous of the explorers

was Francisco Coronado.

In 1680 the Zuni joined in a Pueblo

rebellion against the Spanish. The

Pueblo drove the Spanish from their

territory for 12 years. When the Spanish

returned, they crowded all of the Zuni

into one village, called Halona. That is

where Zuni Pueblo still stands. At the

end of the 20th century there were more

than 9,000 Zuni.

#More to explore

Coronado, Francisco • Native

Americans • Pueblo Indians

A Zuni potter makes a pot from coils, or

long ropes, of clay in the early 1900s.

110 Zuni BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Britannica

Student

Encyclopedia

Chicago • London • New Delhi • Paris • Seoul • Sydney • Taipei • Tokyo

Index

 

2010 Britannica Student Encyclopedia

Copyright © 2010 by Encyclop.dia Britannica, Inc.