Biogenetic
law (recapitulation theory, "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny")
The theory that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny,"
which means that one can trace the evolutionary development of a species
by studying the development of an individual embryo or young of that species.
The theory is still used, especially in
paleontology, but has been found to not be strictly true when applied
to problems in biology.