ile , ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁blood ▁vessels ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁brain ▁that ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁sheep ▁and ▁other ▁ung ul ates . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 4 3 , ▁V es al ius ▁conducted ▁a ▁public ▁dis section ▁of ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁Jakob ▁K arr er ▁von ▁Geb we iler , ▁a ▁not orious ▁fel on ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Bas el , ▁Switzerland . ▁He ▁assemble d ▁and ▁art ic ulated ▁the ▁b ones , ▁finally ▁don ating ▁the ▁ske leton ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Bas el . ▁This ▁prepar ation ▁(" The ▁Bas el ▁S ke leton ") ▁is ▁V es al ius ' ▁only ▁well - pres erved ▁ske let al ▁prepar ation , ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁an atom ical ▁prepar ation . ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁displayed ▁at ▁the ▁An atom ical ▁Museum ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Bas el . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁V es al ius ▁took ▁residence ▁in ▁Bas el ▁to ▁help ▁Johannes ▁O por inus ▁publish ▁the ▁seven - volume ▁De ▁hum ani ▁corpor is ▁fab rica ▁( On ▁the ▁fabric ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁body ), ▁a ▁ground bre aking ▁work ▁of ▁human ▁an atom y ▁that ▁he ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Charles ▁V . ▁Many ▁believe ▁it ▁was ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Tit ian ' s ▁pup il ▁Jan ▁Stephen ▁van ▁Cal car , ▁but ▁evidence ▁is ▁lack ing , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁unlikely ▁that ▁a ▁single ▁artist ▁created ▁all ▁ 2 7 3 ▁illustr ations ▁in ▁a ▁period