Evolution of a discipline-The changing face of anatomy

Abstract

This special issue is unlike any other special issue published in this journal's history. You will not find the types of original research in anatomy and evolutionary biology that you are accustomed to seeing adorning the pages of The Anatomical Record. Instead, the articles included cover the past and future of the discipline of anatomy broadly and of the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) more narrowly, and through two specific rhetorical frames: ethics; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The articles in this issue are divided into two sections. The first section traces the history of anatomy and addresses many of the ethical dilemmas we face as a result of that history. The second section sets the stage for how the discipline and the AAA move forward to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for students, teachers, colleagues, and everyone else we touch through our work as anatomists. While this is only the beginning of our reconciliation with our past, the future certainly looks bright.

Keywords: bioethics; diversity; inclusion; science communication.

FIGURE 1

Dissection table near one of the crematoria at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The placard next to the table read: “The Dissection Table. Bodies were dissected in order to find possible valuables; gold and silver teeth were extracted.” (Photo by Jason Organ, 1994)