Michelangelo,the Last Judgment fresco,Saint Bartholomew and the Golden Ratio

Art and anatomy were particularly closely intertwined during the Renaissance period and numerous painters and sculptors expressed themselves in both fields. Among them was Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), who is renowned for having produced some of the most famous of all works of art, the frescoes on the ceiling and on the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Recently, a unique association was discovered between one of Michelangelo's most celebrated works (The Creation of Adam fresco) and the Divine Proportion/Golden Ratio (GR) (1.6). The GR can be found not only in natural phenomena but also in a variety of human‐made objects and works of art. Here, using Image‐Pro Plus 6.0 software, we present mathematical evidence that Michelangelo also used the GR when he painted Saint Bartholomew in the fresco of The Last Judgment, which is on the wall behind the altar. This discovery will add a new dimension to understanding the great works of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Clin. Anat. 28:967–971, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A hidden rib found in Michelangelo Buonarroti's fresco The Creation of Adam

The fresco The Creation of Adam (1511), painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by the great genius of human anatomy Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), represents one of the most emblematic and best‐known scenes in the world. This fresco illustrates a key passage from the Book of Genesis: the moment when God creates the first man, Adam. Since its completion, this work has been intensively studied by many scholars of art, and by several anatomists, who have pointed out signs of anatomical representations contained in the scene. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding this famous scene, especially in relation to its complete iconography. In an attempt to understand Michelangelo's purpose better regarding this emblematic scene, this article presents unpublished evidence that the artist could have concealed within the figure of Adam the anatomical image of a rib which, according to traditional Biblical accounts, is iconographically associated with the origin of Eve, Adam's companion. Curiously, this hidden rib in Adam's body figure could be related to the traditional view of the origin of the first humans expounded in the Jewish Kabbalah. Clin. Anat. 32:648–653, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Anatomical knowledge among medieval folk artists: osteological interpretation of two Dance of Death motifs

Anatomy has a long history that started with dissection of animals and then expanded and flourished thanks to dissections performed on human bodies. Artists had a crucial role in uncovering the secrets of human anatomy. While most studies have focused on the influence of famous Renaissance artists on human anatomy studies, the anatomical drawings by pre‐Renaissance artists and local craftsmen have remained in their shadow. One of the most popular artistic genres in which complete or parts of human skeletons appear is the Dance of Death (Danse Macabre). This article is an anthropological study of two medieval Dance of Death frescoes that are unusual in being relatively early as well as accurately datable. A comparative morphological analysis of the two late 15th century works present in Istria has been conducted. The two works were painted by two local masters and show how the artists filled the gaps in their knowledge of human anatomy mostly with insights into animal bones and imagination. Their artworks, even though only 16 years apart, demonstrate substantial differences in the representation of the skeletons. The article argues that the history of medicine and of art could make good use of osteology and physical anthropology in attempts to define and understand how anatomical knowledge developed among pre‐Renaissance and post‐Renaissance artists and local people.     

A self‐caricature of michelangelo buonarroti hidden in the portrait of vittoria colonna

The specialized literature has described how the great anatomist par excellence, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), like many other renowned artists of his time, included a self‐portrait in many of his works. This article presents novel evidence that Michelangelo inserted his self‐portrait into a sketch of his close friend, Vittoria Colonna (1490–1547). This work, made by Michelangelo in 1525, is currently in the collection of the British Museum in London, England. This self‐portrait of Michelangelo can serve as a tool for analyzing the artist's probable bodily dimensions and even his state of health during this period of his life. Clin. Anat. 31:335–338, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The handedness of Michelangelo Buonarroti

The handedness of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), one of the greatest artists of all time, is still controversial. Although there is no doubt that almost all of his well‐attributed drawings were drawn with the right hand, the hatch marks of the shading going downward from right to left; it has been often neglected in the literature that he was an innate left‐hander. An unfairly unknown autobiography of Raffaello da Montelupo stated that Michelangelo, a natural left‐hander, trained himself from a young age to become right‐handed. The same biography also underlined that Michelangelo restricted the use of his left hand only to works requiring force such as hammering, carving, and chiseling marble. The sign of the wooden crucifix donated to Santo Spirito in 1492 and two autographic sketches by Michelangelo—one left alongside a poem in 1509, and the other in the dress of the Vittoria Colonna sketch in 1525—are useful tools for analyzing the artist's evolution from left to right handedness when drawing, writing, and painting. Clin. Anat. 31:645–647, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

SEYMOUR SARASON AND THE CREATION OF SETTINGS

One of Seymour Sarason's most original and important works was his book, The Creation of Settings and the Future Societies (Sarason, 1972). In it, he offered numerous insights about what goes wrong when “two or more people come together in new relationships over a sustained period of time in order to achieve certain goals.” His hope in writing the book was that greater knowledge and understanding of the setting‐creation process would help people create more effective and humane settings and prevent “organizational craziness.” This article first describes how and why Sarason became interested in the problem. It then summarizes a few of his most important insights about the process. The article concludes by considering the impact and legacy of Sarason's work on the creation of settings.     

Johann Vesling (1598–1649): Seventeenth century anatomist of Padua and his Syntagma Anatomicum

Johann Vesling (1598–1649) was a German anatomist and surgeon who belonged to the golden period of the illustrious University of Padua. He made significant contributions to the advancement of anatomical knowledge during the 17th century and is remembered most for his remarkable anatomical work, the Syntagma Anatomicum, which was published in 1641. He was the first to describe the soleus muscle and to emphasize its resemblance to the sole fish. He produced the earliest illustrations of the human lymphatic system and was one of the first to document observations about the thoracic duct. He was also the first to report the bifurcation of the human hepatic portal vein on entering the fissure of the liver. His observations from embryological experiments were critical for understanding the development of the four‐chambered heart. He was one of the first authors to state that four pulmonary veins empty into the left atrium of the heart. Syntagma Anatomicum (1641) was the most widely used anatomical text in Europe for almost a century and was republished a number of times with editions in Latin, German, Dutch, and English. Syntagma was the first illustrated western anatomical text to reach Japan and laid the foundation for the development of European medicine there. The illustrations used in it deviated from the artistic convention that had characterized anatomical figures from the time of Vesalius, and focused instead on representing anatomical details to make them helpful for medicine and surgery. Clin. Anat. 27:1122–1127, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Formaldehyde exposure and its effects during pregnancy: Recommendations for laboratory attendance based on available data

Formalin is commonly used in fixation of cadaveric specimens. Exposure to formaldehyde, a component of formalin and a known carcinogen, during gross anatomy laboratory dissection is a continuing concern for pregnant students and instructors. Since there is little literature on this specific topic, the current review was compiled in the hope of offering recommendations to pregnant students and instructors who are engaged in human anatomical dissection where formalin is used. Relevant articles were obtained through searches of PubMed and Google Scholar for the terms “formaldehyde,” “pregnant,” “formalin,” and “exposure.” A literature search was conducted for chemical information and articles about exposure as issued by government regulatory agencies and chemical companies that produce formaldehyde. This led to the compilation of 29 articles each of which included references to previous, relevant, human research. The reviewed literature contains data strongly suggesting that pregnancy can be affected by formaldehyde exposure. Therefore, on the basis our analysis, female students who might be pregnant should avoid formaldehyde exposure, including that in a gross anatomy laboratory. Instructors should find other means of ensuring anatomical competence for these students. Clin. Anat. 28:972–979, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Evolutionary developmental pathology and anthropology: A new field linking development,comparative anatomy,human evolution,morphological variations and defects,and medicine

We introduce a new subfield of the recently created field of Evolutionary‐Developmental‐Anthropology (Evo‐Devo‐Anth): Evolutionary‐Developmental‐Pathology‐and‐Anthropology (Evo‐Devo‐P'Anth). This subfield combines experimental and developmental studies of nonhuman model organisms, biological anthropology, chordate comparative anatomy and evolution, and the study of normal and pathological human development. Instead of focusing on other organisms to try to better understand human development, evolution, anatomy, and pathology, it places humans as the central case study, i.e., as truly model organism themselves. We summarize the results of our recent Evo‐Devo‐P'Anth studies and discuss long‐standing questions in each of the broader biological fields combined in this subfield, paying special attention to the links between: (1) Human anomalies and variations, nonpentadactyly, homeotic transformations, and “nearest neighbor” vs. “find and seek” muscle‐skeleton associations in limb+facial muscles vs. other head muscles; (2) Developmental constraints, the notion of “phylotypic stage,” internalism vs. externalism, and the “logic of monsters” vs. “lack of homeostasis” views about human birth defects; (3) Human evolution, reversions, atavisms, paedomorphosis, and peromorphosis; (4) Scala naturae, Haeckelian recapitulation, von Baer's laws, and parallelism between phylogeny and development, here formally defined as “Phylo‐Devo parallelism”; and (5) Patau, Edwards, and Down syndrome (trisomies 13, 18, 21), atavisms, apoptosis, heart malformations, and medical implications. Developmental Dynamics 244:1357–1374, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Electromyography— dynamic gross anatomy: A review

“Electromyography: Dynamic Gross Anatomy” is the first in a series of invited review articles by leaders in fields of current interest. Students often ask if anything really “new” has been discovered in gross anatomy in the last fifty years. The answer is an unqualified “yes,” and electromyography probably has provided more of this new information than any other technique. Not since the pioneering work of Duchenne in 1867 has any one man contributed so much to our knowledge of the function of the musculoskeletal system as Dr. John V. Basmajian, Professor of Medicine and Associate in Anatomy at McMaster University and Director of Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Centres of Chedoke-McMaster Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Since his initial publication in 1952, he has written over 200 scientific papers on electromyography. He is the author of Muscles Alive: Their Functions Revealed by Electromyography, now in its fourth edition, and the author or co-author of numerous other books on gross anatomy, kinesiology, therapeutic exercise and clinical electro-neurography. In 1965, Dr. Basmajian was one of the founders of the International Society of Electromyographic Kinesiology (now the International Society of Electrophysiologic Kinesiology), and he served as its first president. In recognition of his many contributions to the discipline, ISEK dedicated its Sixth International Congress to him. Universally recognized as the undisputed leader in the field, Professor Basmajian is the ideal person to summarize the “state of the art” for the readers of The American Journal of Anatomy.     

The Antiquity of Riverine Adaptations in Iniidae (Cetacea,Odontoceti) Documented by a Humerus from the Late Miocene of the Ituzaingó Formation,Argentina

“River dolphins” are a paraphyletic group of toothed whales (Odontoceti) that represent independent secondary invasions of freshwater habitats. Different “river dolphin” lineages display suites of convergent morphological specializations that commonly reflect adaptations to riverine and freshwater environments, such as longirostry, reduced orbits, and wide, paddle‐like flippers. One lineage, the Iniidae, is presently endemic to South America, and includes several extinct Neogene taxa along with their sole extant genus, Inia (the Amazon River dolphin). We report here a humerus recovered from the late Miocene deposits of the Ituzaingó Formation in the Paraná Basin of Argentina. The specimen exhibits diagnostic features of the family Iniidae, including a scapular‐sternal joint of the humerus, which is a unique anatomical connection among mammals. This joint permits enhanced parasagittal adduction of the flipper as a control surface, relative to other odontocetes, providing Inia with a high degree of maneuverability in its structurally complex and heterogenous riverine habitat. This unique anatomical connection, here documented from the late Miocene (～9 million years–6.5 million years old), not only provides the oldest diagnostic record for Iniidae, but it also indicates a similar habitat use for this lineage, a finding coincident with the current paleoenvironmental interpretation for the Ituzaingó Formation. Anat Rec, 297:1096–1102, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Balance and Strength—Estimating the Maximum Prey‐Lifting Potential of the Large Predatory Dinosaur Carcharodontosaurus saharicus

Motivated by the work of palaeo‐art “Double Death (2011),” a biomechanical analysis using three‐dimensional digital models was conducted to assess the potential of a pair of the large, Late Cretaceous theropod dinosaur Carcharodontosaurus saharicus to successfully lift a medium‐sized sauropod and not lose balance. Limaysaurus tessonei from the Late Cretaceous of South America was chosen as the sauropod as it is more completely known, but closely related to the rebbachisaurid sauropods found in the same deposits with C. saharicus. The body models incorporate the details of the low‐density regions associated with lungs, systems of air sacs, and pneumatized axial skeletal regions. These details, along with the surface meshes of the models, were used to estimate the body masses and centers of mass of the two animals. It was found that a 6 t C. saharicus could successfully lift a mass of 2.5 t and not lose balance as the combined center of mass of the body and the load in the jaws would still be over the feet. However, the neck muscles were found to only be capable of producing enough force to hold up the head with an added mass of 424 kg held at the midpoint of the maxillary tooth row. The jaw adductor muscles were more powerful, and could have held a load of 512 kg. The more limiting neck constraint leads to the conclusion that two, adult C. saharicus could successfully lift a L. tessonei with a maximum body mass of 850 kg and a body length of 8.3 m. Anat Rec, 298:1367–1375, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A case of visual agnosia with a contribution to theory

This paper was first published in Archiv für Psychiatrie, 21, 222-270, 1890, under the title “Ein Fall von Seelenblindheit nebst einem Beitrag zur Theorie derselben”.

Since the concept of visual agnosia (Seelenblindheit) was formulated as the result of experimental work, this new “off-shoot” of physiology has been the subject of clinical research. Three years after its formulation Wilbrand (1887), in his well-known monograph, undertook to summarise the clinical history of “Seelenblindheit” and to bring it to some kind of conclusion. Having collated the data obtained so far and added his own valuable observations, he presented an extensive theory of that phenomenon which will be the main subject of the present paper.     

Annals of morphology THEODOR BOVERI (1862–1915) To commemorate the centenary of his death and contributions to the Sutton–Boveri hypothesis

One hundred years ago, only 3 days after his 53rd birthday, there died a man who was regarded during his lifetime already such a giant in biology as to rank with Aristotle, von Baer, Darwin, Wallace, Mendel …. Their respective contributions to epigenesis, natural selection, and segregation made it possible to formulate in the late 19th century a science relating “the origin of species” to the origin of the “individual” organisms, their structure and function to that of their parts, their parts to that of their cells, and mitosis to the propagation of their cells. In working out the developmental and cytological details of these processes Boveri achieved his greatness, taking advantage of innate drive, better instrumentation (microscope, microtome), ideal “model” organisms (sea urchin, Ascaris), methods of their study and preservation, and the rediscovery, in 1900, of Mendel's results allowing him to relate mendelism to chromosomal structure and function in what E.B. Wilson subsequently called the Sutton–Boveri hypothesis. When war began in 1914, Boveri married to an American, and father of a 14‐year‐old girl, was already mortally ill, infested with one of his favorite experimental organisms, Ascaris. Given his health problems and attachment to his native Bavaria, Boveri had declined (1913) the directorship of the nascent Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology in Berlin; but two of his recommended appointees there (Warburg, Spemann) became future Nobel Prize winners. Even before the war, Boveri's renown was such that distinguished foreigners, for example, the Americans E.B. Wilson, Marcella O'Grady, Nettie Stevens, Theophilus Painter, a.o., came to the University of Würzburg to work with him, Wilson dedicating all three editions of his rightly celebrated text “The Cell in Development and Heredity” [1896; 3rd Edition, 1925] to Boveri. Boveri's approach to genetics was primarily morphological; however, he was quick to unite mendelian inferences with chromosomal structure, and embryonic development with evolutionary theory. In retrospect, Boveri is perhaps best known for his formulation of a theory relating chromosomal anomalies to malformations, tumor formation and cancer. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

     

Evaluation of “At Risk” parents using the child abuse potential inventory

Investigated the ability of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP)–Inventory to distinguish “At Risk” individuals. During a 2-year period the CAP–Inventory was given to 67 “At Risk” parents who were participating in an “At Risk Parent-Child Program.” Ss were judged as “At Risk” When they met one or more of the “At Risk” criteria that had been developed by the Program. Sixty-four of the Ss completed the CAP–Inventory. Results indicated that the “At Risk” sample scored significantly higher on the Inventory than a norm group. More specifically, 45% of the “At Risk” sample had Inventory scores above the 95th percentile of the norm group. Strengths and weaknesses involved in the labeling of Ss as “At Risk” using the “ At Risk” criteria and the CAP–Inventory are discussed.