Ostéographie, ou, Description Iconographique Comparée du Squelette et du Système Dentaire des Mammifères Récents et Fossiles

Blainville worked at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, where he clashed with his colleague Georges Cuvier, the great anatomist and paleontologist, over the concept of evolution. Originally issued in parts over a 26-year period, Blainville's study of the comparative anatomy of modern and fossil mammals ultimately formed four volumes of text and four of plates. SIL holds only portions of the work, mainly the parts on marine mammals received as gifts from Smithsonian curators. The plates presented here for preservation treatment are extensively annotated in French.