Bones: The Unity of Form and Function

McNeill, Alexander

ISBN 10: 029783326X / ISBN 13: 9780297833260

Published by Orion Publishing Co, 1994

About this Item

This book has been read, some water damage to bottom edge of back cover, some minor water damage to bottom of last few inner pages. No text or images damaged. No other markings inner pages. Spine intact, no creases. "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." Good Reads "Robert McNeill (Neill) Alexander, CBE FRS (7 July 1934 21 March 2016) was a British zoologist and a leading authority in the field of biomechanics. For thirty years he was Professor of Zoology at the University of Leeds." Wikipedia. Seller Inventory # 157-2023

Bibliographic Details

Title: Bones: The Unity of Form and Function

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Publication Date: 1994

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Assembled by a team of world class scientists and artists, this book looks at the marvels of adaptation through natural selection - the unity of form and function in the vertebrae skeleton - everything from fish to primates including us, Homo Sapiens. The text provides readers with a thought-provoking demonstration of how each bone is perfectly adapted to the purpose it serves. It contains 140 specially commissioned photographs.

About the Author:

R. McNeil Alexander is Deputy Head of the Department of Pure and Applied Biology at the University of Leeds, England. Considered the world's foremost authority on animal mechanics, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London.