Reputedly founded by Wilhelm T. Preyer (1841-1897), it is a branch of developmental biology that studies the prenatal development of the nervous system and behaviour. Its main animal models are the chick and rat embryo. Among its successes are the Preyer-Tracy hypothesis of autogeneous motility, and more recent studies showing the anticipatory nature of prenatal development, and thus the continuities between it and postnatal development.
See Developmental biology, Embryo, Preyer-Tracy hypothesis of autogeneous motility. Self-stimulation