摘要 : The so-called biogenetic law of Haeckel, that the developing organism,in its growth from the egg to the adult stage, "recapitulates" the pasthistory of the race, was one of the most fascinating additions to thetheory of evolution ... 展开 The so-called biogenetic law of Haeckel, that the developing organism,in its growth from the egg to the adult stage, "recapitulates" the pasthistory of the race, was one of the most fascinating additions to thetheory of evolution which was made during the nineteenth century. Thepublication of the first edition of the Origin of Species took place in1859, and Haeckel's General Morphology, in which this law wasenunciated, appeared in 1866. The belief in the validity of this lawwas the stimulating impulse to zoological research for over forty years.The enthusiasm evoked by it, particularly in the younger men of thetime, can be understood when we reflect upon the clues actuallyavailable for following up the course of evolution. 收起