Progression of Animals
This study compares the mechanisms by which animals walk, swim and fly. Limb number, flexion and bodily arrangement become problems in functional anatomy.
Understanding the text
The treatise complements Parts of Animals and should not be confused with the psychological argument of Movement of Animals.
Key points
- 01
Bodily axes
Up and down, front and back, right and left are defined relative to the functions of the organism.
- 02
Limbs
Different patterns of bending and support explain locomotor differences rather than deriving every motion from one universal bodily arrangement.
- 03
Purpose
Bodily structures are related to the organism’s capacities for action while recognizing particular material constraints.
How to read it
Draw the positions being described; a purely verbal reading can obscure the geometry of the argument.
Editions & sources
- Consult the reference 1classics.mit.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 2plato.stanford.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 3classics.mit.edunew tab
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗