ABSTRACT
A revival of interest in comparative bone histology and paleohistology of mammals has occurred during the last decade. This broad and relatively consistent group from a physiological perspective is important because it allows detailed interpretations of fossils based on observations and experiments of extant forms. This chapter aims to summarize the basic knowledge of bone microstructures in extant and extinct mammals. In addition to classical descriptions of microanatomy and histology of long bones, we also consider ribs and axial skeletal elements, and some other bony formations more rarely described in reviews, such as osteoderms, baculum and antlers.
