English Dictionary

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny

ことわざ

(biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization. Not taken literally since the late 19th century.

日本語の意味

個体の発生過程が、その種・社会・文明の進化的発展段階と類似しており、個々の発展が種や文化の進化史を反映しているという考え方。 / 個体発生の各段階が、その生物集団や社会の歴史的進化の過程に相当するという見解（ただし、19世紀後半以降は字義通りには解釈されない）。

Writers sometimes invoke the proverb 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' to suggest that an individual's development echoes the stages of their society's or species' evolution.

作家たちはことわざ「個人の発達は種の進化を反映する」を時に引用して、個人の成長がその種や社会の発展段階に似た段階をたどることを示唆する。

意味（1）

(biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization. Not taken literally since the late 19th century.

With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.