Bones: The Unity of Form and Function

R McNeill Alexander, Edward Heck, Brian Kosoff, Mark A Norell,

ISBN 10: 0025836757 / ISBN 13: 9780025836754

Published by MacMillan Publishing Company October 1994, 1994

About this Item

Few objects in nature display the perfect unity of form and function found in the vertebrate skeleton. Ingeniously designed by the processes of evolution, bones are marvels of engineering. In tribute to both the beauty and mechanics of its subject, Bones explores the structure, material, and movement of bones. It examines the miraculous composition of bone material. It looks at the joints and muscle attachments that allow for movement, including such elaborate mechanisms as fish jaws, rattlesnake fangs, and a lion's retractable claws. It shows how the same bone is shaped to wildly differently ends in a variety of animals. A wealth of specially commissioned color plates shows bones as they have seldom been seen before. The luminous images range from the unusual (the skeleton of a pygmy flying squirrel) to the ordinary (the tailbones of a domestic cat), and from the enormous (the vertebra of a dinosaur) to the minuscule (the acoustic bones of a desert kangaroo rat). With its blend of lively science and unexpected beauty, Bones leaves readers with insight into the workings of the skeleton, and a sense of wonder at its intricacy. Elegantly designed and brimming with 140 luminous color photographs, Bones celebrates the form of bones and the way they function within the body. With its haunting and unforgettable images, the book will leave readers with a sense of great wonder regarding the skeleton's intricate complexities. Very nice clean, tight copy free of any marks. wrapped in complimentary Brodart dust jacket protector.

Seller Inventory # 322347

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Bones: The Unity of Form and Function
• Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company October 1994
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0025836757
• ISBN 13: 9780025836754
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Used - Like New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Photography - Collections - Nature

About this title

Synopsis

A celebration and exploration of the form and function of bones, blending science and art with a clear and fascinating text and beautiful photographs, shows the incredible complexity of the skeleton and demonstrates how adaptations have occurred.

Reviews

The configuration of bones and skeletons offers compelling examples of engineering principles and design. Evolution has produced countless variations of features and functions based on the same basic parts of the skeleton, and so bats suspend their wings on long fingers while monkeys use their fingers for grasping, and horses run on one enlarged toe with nothing but remnant slivers of bone to show that their ancestors ever had more. This volume's 140 elegant photos illustrate some of these amazing adaptations (no diagrams of muscles or living animals intrude on the macabre purity of the bones themselves). The discussion focuses on engineering aspects such as the trade-off between strength and lightness, how joints are constructed, how bones adapt as an animal grows, and the uses for different shapes of teeth. It's an eye-opening and visually beautiful synthesis of ideas about ecology, evolution, and engineering.?Amy Brunvand, Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.