5 TOP SPECIMENS

ANIMAL INSIDE OUT: BODY WORLDS

1 The camel. Split into three at the neck, this mother camel offers different views of the layers of fat, muscle and organs that keep her going in the harsh desert. Nearby, the fragility of life is driven home by the presence of a preserved fetus that had been inside the mother at her time of death.

2 The giraffes. Inspiring enough just for their height, these two very different exhibits of the same creature can be a bit shocking. One is largely preserved, albeit sans skin. The other is a series of plates suspended from the ceiling, each holding a preserved thin slice of an animal. Add enough of those slices up, and you get a complete creature.

3 The human lungs. Preserved near lungs of other land creatures and a few from marine wildlife, the black spots show how much of a toll our urban lifestyle has on our organs.

4 The squid. On the outside, this giant cephalopod is as dissimilar to humans as you can imagine, with its eight arms, twin tentacles and bulbous head. But split open, it has a digestive system that, while not exactly like ours, is in the same ballpark. We’re different, but also alike.

5 The ostrich. With nothing but miles of perfectly preserved vessels and a few feathers, this specimen is a demonstration of the miracle of blood. Towering over visitors, the power of the heart that pumps liquid all the way up that neck seems overwhelming.