The comparison of vertebrate skeletons is one of the best ways to understand the ways of life, evolutionary histories, and deep relationships within this group of animals - a group in which we of course have membership.
As early as 1555, when Pierre Belon included the illustration at right in his L'Histoire de la nature des oyseaux (Natural History of Birds), it has been recognized that only after stripping away the feathers, scales, fur, and flesh does it become apparent how much apes and birds have in common, and how remarkably similar we are to creatures as different as bats and whales.
This guide organizes an array of resources - all accessible online - to support and encourage the investigation of this fascinating subdiscipline of zoology and anatomy.