What Happen to Learning about Anatomy?

Something a bit different today and this is what I have noticed at my zoology classes. I don’t know if it is something due to with the classes being more or less introductory courses, or it is the professor that sets up the class, but I am surprised with the lack of material that concerns on anatomy. I mean, sure in the vertebrate zoology class and in the ornithology course the professors had talked to some detailed about major, unique features in vertebrates. Yes I know there is so much to know in a semester worth of class. And yes, sometimes the professor is more comfortable in the ecology and evolution of the groups they are experts on as opposed to the anatomy.

The reason I bring this up is in my spring semester when I was a sophomore, I took a comparative anatomy class. Before hand I knew this would probably be the hardest zoology class I will ever take, as I am only aware of the basics of the vertebrate anatomy. Sure enough it was a hard class, but it was still interesting and I have learned things I had not before. Not to mention it also shows just how unique lobe-finned fish and mammals are (the theme for the class was mostly the evolution of crowned mammals, with lobe-finned fish being the starting point). What made it hard was the lack of a good, up-to-date vertebrate anatomy textbook. The one we had was a dated 5th edition of Analysis of the Vertebrate Structure by Milton Hildebrand and George Goslow. The book was fine, although it was heavily Linnaean in its taxonomy, lack of good pictures and the professor noted some “errors” in the book she found. Not to mention that, instead of the chapters being center on the various chordate or vertebrate groups, the chapters are instead based on the various body systems. Which is maybe fine for some people but it became very disorienting for me.

Despite the flaws, it is still a decent book. Though be warn of scaly, cold-blood dinosaurs. Photo by Wiley Press.

As a result whenever I had to study for the class exams, I would find myself going to the library and reading the anatomy chapters in the ichthyology, herpetology and mammalogy textbooks instead of the textbook for the anatomy class. I guess in a way it actually helped me be a better researcher and taking notes in a field I was not aware of. But what is the point in having a textbook that does not do the job that you need it? So I began to search for a better vertebrate anatomy textbook. But as I search for such a textbook, I discovered that there was no books that are better than the textbook for my anatomy class in the library. None online either. I guess most of the anatomy that is covered in the various vertebrate or chordate groups can be find in those specific textbooks I have used instead. Perhaps one day there will be a book suited to more of my liking. Here are my three suggestions for the ideal anatomy book (if you happen to find such book, or a good vertebrate/chordate anatomy textbooks, feel free to comment them below!):

1. Have the book be up-to-date and use cladistics. Life is no longer just categories or rankings, but one huge whole of the same coin.
2. Chapters on clades or groups (for example, chapter one will be on lancelets, tunicates, lampreys and hagfish, chapter two on cartilaginous fishes, and so forth), and not on the body systems. Quicker and faster to look up and obtain the information needed.
3. Very good and highly detailed drawings and photographs. Anatomy can be pretty complex or overwhelming to learn for a beginner.

Of course there will still be the issue of the lack of depth in anatomy in class. Indeed even some of the newer textbooks for the various vertebrate sciences seem to be cutting down the information about anatomy and not as in-depth as it was in the older textbooks that I have read in the library. We should not briefly glance over anatomy. We should still study it extensively as it still has implication in the evolution, the ecology and the conversation even to help species. But we also must make it in a more coherent manner, one that will not scare away students who are not familiar with anatomy. For this to be successful there must be cooperation between the education industry, the professors and the students for this to happen.