"We put together a course that we thought of as 'How Animals Work,'" Crompton says. "What we tried to do was integrate anatomy and physiology."

Taylor and Crompton taught the class together for 23 years, forming a partnership that extended to research and friendship, lasting until Taylor's death two years ago.

Crompton is also a professor for Biological Sciences 2: "Organismic and Evolutionary Biology"; Biology 121 a and 121b: "Advanced Structure and Physiology of the Vertebrates"; Biology 139: "Evolution of the Vertebrates"; and Biology 322: "Functional Anatomy of Vertebrates."

But Crompton speaks of retirement within the next year, saying "I am an old man." As a professor emeritus, Crompton plans to keep his lab and continue researching the evolution of the structures animals use for suckling and swallowing.

He says that his fondest memories of teaching at Harvard are of watching his former students continue their studies and take their places in the academic community.

"Watching the careers of some students who have passed through-seeing them take professorial positions or getting Hoopes prizes for work done in the lab, coming back twenty years later and saying "That was a great course,'" Crompton says. "That's really been the best part of teaching."