[The contribution of M.S. Giliarov to the theory of evolution]

A review is presented of academician M.S. Ghilarov's principal works dealing with general problems of the evolutionary biology. His main attention in the analysis of phylogenetic relationships in invertebrates and regularities of the evolution of main organ systems has been paid to the significance of ecological factors and functional properties of morphological structures. Taking this approach as the basis, M.S. Ghilarov considered ways of animals' adaptation to the terrestrial mode of life through soil as the transit environment. He has developed new approaches to the interpretation of aromorphic and idioadaptive changes in animals' organization and to the origin of the insect metamorphosis. Patterns, being common for all groups of animals, were revealed with regard to the processes of phylogeny and mechanisms of their control by the principle of positive feedbacks.