Anatomy developed little from classical times until the sixteenth century; as the historian Marie Boas writes, "Progress in anatomy before the sixteenth century is as mysteriously slow as its development after 1500 is startlingly rapid".
ɐnˈæɾəmi dɪvˈɛləpt lˈɪɾəl fɹʌm klˈæsɪkəl tˈaɪmz ʌntˈɪl ðə sˈɪkstiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi; æz ðə hɪstˈoːɹiən mɚɹˈiː bˈoʊəz ɹˈaɪts, "pɹˈɑːɡɹɛs ɪn ɐnˈæɾəmi bᵻfˌoːɹ ðə sˈɪkstiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi ɪz æz mɪstˈɪɹiəsli slˈoʊ æz ɪts dɪvˈɛləpmənt ˈæftɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd ɪz stˈɑːɹɾəlɪŋli ɹˈæpɪd".