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Biogenetic law
Introduction References & Edit History
Quick Facts
Also called:
Recapitulation Theory
Key People:
Ernst Haeckel
Related Topics:
evolution
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Biogenetic law

biology
Also known as: recapitulation theory
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

Biogenetic law, postulation, by Ernst Haeckel in 1866, that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny—i.e., the development of the animal embryo and young traces the evolutionary development of the species. The theory was influential and much-popularized earlier but has been of little significance in elucidating either evolution or embryonic growth.