comparative anatomy com·par·a·tive anatomy (kəm-pār'ə-tĭv)
n.
The investigation and comparison of the structures of different animals.
comparative anatomy
the comparative study of the body structures of different species of animals in order to understand the adaptive changes they have undergone in the course of evolution from common ancestors. The field is largely confined to the study of the vertebrate animals
Learn more about comparative anatomy with a free trial on Britannica.com.