Comparative anatomy

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an image of different types of bones

By Sam Lucas Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences within the structures of organisms. Physical features may be considered homologous or analogous, but what does this mean? Homologous structures are similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but

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the different bones and muscles in an animal's body, including the lower limb

The evidence for evolution is found at all levels of organization in living things and in the extinct species we know about through fossils. Fossils provide evidence for the evolutionary change through now extinct forms that led to modern species. For example, there is a rich fossil record that shows the evolutionary transitions from horse ancestors to modern horses that document intermediate forms and a gradual adaptation t changing ecosystems.

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two skeletons and a camel are depicted in this drawing

Skeletons of two men standing and kneeling between the skeletons of two camels, one of which is seated. Lithograph by B. Waterhouse Hawkins, 1860.

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the diagram shows how to ride a horse with legs and feet, while standing on one leg

The diagrams below show the differences between the human bone structure and quadruped bone structures. Seeing various bone and muscle structures together in one diagram really helps show the difference in bone size and the angles in which the bone stands. The longer the leg, the less of a 'spring' the animal has; a cat will get a lot more height in a pounce than a horse will get in a jump in relation to its size. The human bone structure and muscle is almost identical to that of a…

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an image of two birds that are standing in the same direction

Ok, time for a quick anatomy lesson: Despite what you may have heard, bird knees do not bend backward. Nor, in fact, do the knees of any tetrapod perform this trick. Given the role of the knee in locomotion, it's not even clear how such

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