A neologism devised by Conrad H. Waddington (1903-1975) to signal his attempt at integrating genetics, embryology and evolutionary biology into a unified developmental science based on dynamical principles. According to diachronic biology, evolutionary change is engendered by heritable alterations in development, with stabilising selection within the embryo being followed by normative selection on the adult. It can be considered as the forerunner of current attempts at creating an evolutionary developmental biology.
See Dynamical systems theory (development and evolution), Embryology, Epigenetic landscape, Epigenetics, Evolutionary biology, Evolutionary developmental biology, Genetic assimilation, Theory of natural selection