Form and Function: A Contribution to the History of Animal Morphology

E. S. Russell

Why does a whale's flipper hide the bones of a hand? E. S. Russell traces how naturalists came to ask that question, from the first comparative anatomists through Cuvier and beyond. A history of animal morphology, it follows the long argument over whether form follows function or function follows form. Thoughtful reading for anyone drawn to the deep logic of animal bodies.