what math is used in zoology? I need to know NOW for my maths assignment that is due TOMORROW!!

1 ANSWERS

1. jane
   

   hello
   
   Well, that's a fair question, though a very broad one. The use of maths in
   any science, including zoology, very much depends on what the individual
   student or zoologist is trying to do. However, there are two main ways
   maths is likely to be used in zoology;
   
   1. Performing calculations to gain information about some aspect of the
   animal kingdom such as structure, locomotion (movement) or behaviour. An
   example of this might be using research results taken by measuring the
   area of bat wings and weighing the animals to calculate how much that
   particular species of bat can carry when flying. This could also allow the
   zoologist to see if there is a difference between male and female bats.
   You might suggest - or in scientific terms, 'hypothesise' - that female
   bats can carry more as they have to carry their young when pregnant and
   still hunt for insects. This approach to using maths means that you can
   create a mathematical 'model' of a flying bat so that if you put your
   measurements into a set of equations (hopefully simple ones!), the answers
   explain how the bat flies.
   
   2. When taking measurements, a zoologist will generally make the same
   measurement several times and take an average as single measurements might
   be wrong, or at least variable, and it is important to allow for this.
   Then, to turn the measurements into answers to questions (which help to
   see if your suggestion or 'hypothesis' is correct), it is often necessary
   to test the measurements using a type of maths called 'statistics'.
   Statistical tests are another set of equations that help you to decide
   whether your results give useful answers or if the variation you see is
   just due to chance. It is a very complex area, and the maths can be quite
   complex, so I won't describe it in detail but the equations in statistics
   can tell you how closely your measurements and your 'model' (mentioned in
   point 1) match up and so, how good your model is. This is very important
   if a zoologist wants other scientists to accept the work they have done.
   
   
   hope it helps

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