History of Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Abstract Foundations of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) were laid by K. von Baer, the author of the law of embryonic similarity in various animal species. Subsequent exploration of this problem was related to the proof of the relationship between the invertebrate and vertebrate animals (A.O. Kowalevsky). The next phase of evo-devo progress was the creation of the theory of phylembryogenesis (A.N. Severtsov) and the concept of integrity of the organism in onto- and phylogenesis (I.I. Schmalhausen). In the context of evo-devo, the idea of epigenetic regulation in ontogenesis is of great importance (C. Waddington). At the present stage of evo-devo development, associated with names of S. Gould, P. Alberch, K. McNamara, etc., the importance of heterochrony is explored, in particular, the molecular mechanisms of heterochrony formation (“heterochronic genes” and microRNAs).