What is comparative anatomy?
Q: What is comparative anatomy?
A: Comparative anatomy is the scientific comparison of animal bodies in order to understand their working structure and determine the phylogenetic relationships between different groups of animals.
Q: What techniques are used for comparative anatomy?
A: The main techniques used for comparative anatomy are dissection and microscopy. Dissection involves examining the inside structure of a living thing, usually after it has died, while microscopy uses simple or compound microscopes to view small details of structure. Additionally, careful comparison of large collections of animals (usually in museums) is often done.
Q: When was the great era of comparative anatomy?
A: The great era of comparative anatomy was from about 1800 to about 1950.
Q: Who used comparative anatomy during this time period?
A: During this time period, both those who did not believe in evolution such as Georges Cuvier and those who did such as Thomas Henry Huxley used comparative anatomy. Charles Darwin himself also used it as his main tool when researching barnacles.
Q: What method is now mainly used to find out relationships between animals?
A: Molecular evolution is now mainly used to find out relationships between animals, which uses DNA sequence analysis.
Q: Is dissection still being done by zoologists today?
A: Yes, dissection is still being done by zoologists today for many research purposes.
Q: Do you need to know about the structure of animals and plants in order to get a degree in biology?
A: Yes, knowledge about the structure of animals and plants is necessary in order to get a degree in biology.
