Editing Comparative anatomy (section)

{{short description|Study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
[[File:Homology vertebrates-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|'''Comparative anatomy''' studies similarities and differences in organisms. The image shows [[homology (biology)|homologous]] bones in the upper limb of various vertebrates.]]
'''Comparative anatomy''' is the study of similarities and differences in the [[anatomy]] of different [[species]]. It is closely related to [[evolutionary biology]] and [[phylogeny]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Gaucher EA, Kratzer JT, Randall RN | title = Deep phylogeny--how a tree can help characterize early life on Earth | journal = Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology | volume = 2 | issue = 1 | pages = a002238 | date = January 2010 | pmid = 20182607 | pmc = 2827910 | doi = 10.1101/cshperspect.a002238 }}</ref> (the [[evolution]] of species).

The science began in the [[classical era]], continuing in the [[early modern period]] with work by [[Pierre Belon]] who noted the similarities of the skeletons of birds and humans.

Comparative anatomy has provided [[evidence of common descent]], and has assisted in the classification of animals.<ref>{{Cite book|date=22 April 1999|title=Science and Creationism|doi=10.17226/6024|pmid=25101403|isbn=978-0-309-06406-4|author1=National Academy of Sciences (US)|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencecreationi0000unse}}</ref>