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Skull anatomy by Leonardo da Vinci

Skull anatomy by Leonardo da Vinci. Historical artwork and notes on the anatomy of the human skull and teeth, by the Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). This bisected skull shows the external structure (right), and dissected facial sinuses (left), the air-filled spaces inside the bones of the face. The diagram at lower left shows the teeth present in one half of the mouth: 4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 pre-molars, and 6 molars. Da Vinci was the first anatomist known to have correctly noted the number and root structure of human teeth. The notes are an example of his mirror writing, which was written backwards from right to left, and could be read in a mirror.

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

1490 Leonardo Da Vinci colour portrait

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian artist and inventor (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519). Engraved portrait by J. Posselwhite in 'The Gallery of Portraits' 1835 with later colouring, ascribed 'from the engraving by Raffaelle Morghen', (itself after the undated self portrait by Leonardo da Vinci). Da Vinci was one of the most diversely talented people to have ever lived. His contributions to science include principally; anatomy, engineering and invention. Fritjof Capra (2007) argues that Leonardo's scientific approach was more integrated and holistic than Gallileo's or Newton's - making him a more direct antecedant of modern systems and complexity theory than those scientists. Darwin reportedly kept a version of this print as a muse on his study wall at Christ's College Cambridge.

© This image is copyright Paul D. Stewart 2009. Do not reproduce without permission of the photographer at Stewartpauld@aol.com.

Illustration of Leonardo da Vinci's parachute

First parachute design. Parachute designed and drawn by the Italian inventer Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Leonardo was the first person to suggest using a parachute to slow a person's rate of fall. At lower left is some of the mirror hand- writing that he used to keep his ideas secret. Leonardo devoted many years of research into studying flight and designing potential aircraft. Like many of his projects, the parachute design was never published and the parachute was never actually constructed. After Leonardo's death his notes lay unnoticed in a library until 1796, just a few years after parachutes had been re-invented by Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard.

© Sheila Terry/Science Photo Library