Bone is one of the most extraordinary materials in the natural world—flexible, strong, and capable of an amazing range of functions, from supporting enormous elephants to allowing a bat to fly. Beautifully illustrated with 19th- and 20th-century engravings, this book offers a fascinating overview of millions of years of skeletal development, revealing how bones have evolved into a multitude of different shapes, sizes, densities, and configurations to allow an incredible range of animal functions.