Evolutionary developmental biology interprets development in the light of evolution . Evolutionary developmental biology ( evolution of development or informally , evo-devo ) is a field of biology that compares the developmental processes of different organisms to determine the ancestral relationship between them , and to discover how developmental processes evolved . It addresses the origin and evolution of embryonic development ; how modifications of development and developmental processes lead to the production of novel features , such as the evolution of feathers ; the role of developmental plasticity in evolution ; how ecology impacts in development and evolutionary change ; and the developmental basis of homoplasy and homology .