Together with Alexander Kovalevsky, Mechnikov conducted pioneering research on the embryonic development of marine invertebrates. They demonstrated that embryonic structures of different animal groups are homologous, confirming their common origin. This work laid the foundations of comparative embryology as a separate science and provided powerful evidence supporting Darwin's theory of evolution. For this research, they received the Karl Baer Prize from the Academy of Sciences in 1867.
Significance
Foundation of comparative embryology and evolutionary biology