Prophet of comparative anatomy

In focusing on the similarities between creatures, Pierre Belon laid the groundwork for a new branch of science, writes Richard Collins

IN L’Histoire de la Nature des Oyseaux (‘The Natural History of Birds’), published in 1555, there is a drawing of human and bird skeletons, viewed from the front, side by side. The corresponding bones are indicated and named. The creator of this prophetic illustration was a gifted Renaissance man, the 500th anniversary of whose birth occurs this year.

Pierre Belon was born in 1517 in a village near Le Mans, France. Of humble origin, he became apprenticed to an apothecary. His exceptional talents soon came to the attention of a wealthy patron whose support enabled him to study in Germany.