Animal Morphology. 27 



Chapter IV. 

 Study of Structure (Animal Morphology)* 



The Scope of Morphology Foundations laid by Aristotle Rise of 

 Comparative Anatomy Cuvier and Correlation Cuvier's Contem- 

 poraries Richard Owen Huxley Hceckel Gegenbaur Criteria 

 of Homology Physiological Morphology. 



The term morphology, introduced by Goethe, is here 

 used in its widest sense, to designate the science of 

 organic form and structure. As Geddes puts The g e 

 it, morphology is the study of the organism of Morph- 

 in its static relations, while physiology is the ology ' 

 study of the organism in its kinetic relations. At dif- 

 ferent levels of analysis morphology seeks an answer to 

 the question, "What is this in itself and in its parts?" 

 It includes anatomy and histology, not only of the adult, 

 but of the young and embryonic stages, and not only of 

 modern forms, but of extinct types as well. And al- 

 though we have, for convenience sake, discussed classi- 

 fication or taxonomy separately, this is also part of 

 morphology, one of the main aims of which is to detect 

 structural affinities, now known to express genetic rela- 

 tionship. 



As in many other departments, the work of Aristotle 

 is fundamental in morphology. He knew about five 

 hundred different animals, he studied the Foundations 

 internal structure of a few, and he suggested laid by 

 the first scientific classification. It is true Aristotle 

 that he failed to discriminate between nerves and ten- 

 dons, or to understand what either brain or muscles 

 meant, but he approached some of the great generaliza- 

 tions of morphology, such as the correlation of organs 

 and the conception of homology. The remarkable his- 

 torical fact has already been noted, that apart from the 

 works of Galen (born A.D. 130), who made some ana- 

 tomical researches on Mammals, the foundations laid so 

 securely by Aristotle remained practically unbuilt upon 

 until the sixteenth century. 



