Put another way, there is a theme of understanding the biodiversity of form from various points of view. Topics range from experimental or developmental biology to the evolution of animal diversity. Studies in vertebrate morphology also span from molecular to community levels of organization. They include biomechanics, the application of mechanical principles to the structure of organization.
Most people start with an interest in animals and animal watching as kids.
Later, many become interested in comparative anatomy in college. It provides the potential to understand mechanisms that are responsible for much of vertebrate diversity. Only by understanding these mechanisms can we understand such things as diverse as human disease and the physiological consequences of pollution and environmental change. Also work in biomechanics is valuable for disciplines such as robotics and prosthetics. Vertebrate morphologists sometimes act as consultants for the entertainment industry, especially animators that need to know how animals really move.