Form and Function

Animals are adapted to their living environment. The spectacular diversity of body forms in the animal kingdom evolved over millions of years through a process dictated by heredity, and was also significantly influenced by the adaptation of animals to their living environment and survival needs, such as movement, defense, foraging for food, eating, and finding a mate.

The relationship between form, structure and function led to resemblance between animals from genetically distant groups that cope with a similar living environment. For example, bats, birds and butterflies belong to different groups, but they all fly using wings that developed over the generations.

תערוכת - צורה, מבנה, תפקוד

The movement section of the exhibition demonstrates the visual resemblance between animals that move in the same way. In contrast, in similar organs there has been a change of form to allow every animal to function in the most efficient way for itself. In the exhibition you can see the marked differences in the skull structure of mammals and birds, according to the type of food they eat.

The exhibition presents ways of examining the morphology of an animal in order to learn about its way of life.

Form and Function

Lyle’s flying foxBats are the only mammals that can fly. Their wings are made of skin stretched between five long fingers. The finger joints allow the bat to change its wing shape. Thus, its maneuverability in the air is greater than that of birds.

Caracal and FrancolinThe caracal is a predatory cat and the black francolin is a ground-dwelling bird; both of them are vertebrates, originating from a common ancestor with four limbs (two pairs) used for movement.

Tawny owlThe serrated feathers on the leading edge of the owl’s wings change the direction of the air flow and reduce noise. This enables it to fly silently toward its prey.

African penguinThe penguin is a bird that swims using a wing movement similar to the flapping of wings by birds. Since it moves through water, which is denser than air, the surface area of its wings is smaller than that of similar-sized flying birds.

Linnaeus’ two-toed slothThe sloth feeds on leaves that provide little energy, and it moves slowly. A well-developed muscle that stretches from the forearm to its fingers contracts its paws into the shape of a hook.

Velociraptor (replica)Dinosaurs are reptiles that became extinct before humans appeared. By measuring the velociraptor’s bones and examining its footprints, scientists concluded that it moved rapidly on its hind legs only.

Aldabra giant tortoiseThe tortoise’s shell comprises several skeletal bones (including the ribs) and additional bones produced from the skin and completely covered in keratin protein.

Red foxThe fox’s running mechanism is characteristic of most small mammals: its hind legs simultaneously push the body into the gliding stage, and the forelegs land one after the other to slow its body down.