Observe and compare!
More than an open reserve collection, the Galerie d’Anatomie comparée holds all the specimens used to develop the foundations of the discipline. You can work things out and make comparisons by observing the 650 or so skeletons here. By studying the structure of the skeleton, common to all vertebrates, you can see the differences between the groups of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. How does a hedgehog’s foot, a bird’s wing or a tortoise’s leg move around? Where are the nostrils and the eyes located in a whale’s skull? By comparing sizes and shapes, you can recognise how creatures adapt to their living environments and understand how it is possible to live on the land, in the air or in the water. By observing the sets of organs, such as the lungs, heart and liver, you can learn about respiration, circulation, digestion and so on.