INTRODUCCIÓNLa Biología Evolutiva-del Desarrollo (EvoDevo) se encarga de examinar cómo las alteraciones de los procesos ontogenéticos, reguladas genéticamente, contribuyen al incremento de la diversidad biológica (Bateman & DiMichele, 1994Cronk, 2001;Harrison et al., 2002;Shepard & Purugganan, 2002;Smith, 2003;Friedman et al., 2004;Floyd & Bowman, 2007). Bateman Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat., n.s. 14(1): 143-166, 2012 ISSN 1514 Abstract: Evolutionary developmental studies in fossil stems of Corystospermaceae. A methodological critera to study the development of permineralized stems is proposed, which is applied in the analysis of the evodevo patterns of Corystospermaceae axes, the most important Mesozoic seed fern family in gondwanic Triassic paleofloras. This group accounts for an excellent case study because their stems are preserved permineralized, showing cellular and histological details, and it is possible to examine their whole ontogeny in a single individual since the cells of the secondary xylem and phloem are produced in successive layers retaining permanently their position. In the ontogenetic studies of pteridosperms, regulating mechanisms of development must be discerned comparing with ontogenies of comparable living plants. This extrapolation is possible since it is known that regulating processes of secondary growth are homologous in all lygnophytes. Most of corystosperm axes present a dissected secondary vascular cylinder, and tissues with unusual development and position, which is caused by four classes of cambial deviations: 1-differential activity throughout the stem circumference; 2-remnant activity; 3-inverse or centripetal cambium; and 4 -successive inverse and/or normal cambia (poyxyly). The origin of these cambium deviations is intimately linked to heterotopic events, including neoheterotopy and homeosis. By comparison with living plant studies, it is theorized that homeotic genes implied with these events could be those related to the beginning of cambial activity, cell differentiation, and vascular bundle arrangement.Key words: Pteridosperms, Ontogeny, Heterotopy, Heterochrony, Trunks.Resumen: Se propone un criterio metodológico para estudiar el desarrollo de tallos permineralizados, aplicado en el análisis de los patrones evolutivos-del desarrollo de los ejes caulinares de las Corystospermaceae, familia de "pteridospermas" dominante en las paleofloras triásicas gondwánicas. Este grupo representa un excelente caso de estudio dado que sus tallos se preservan permineralizados, por lo que exhiben detalles celulares e histológicos, y, asimismo, su ontogenia entera puede ser examinada en un solo ejemplar debido a que las células del xilema y floema secundario son producidas en capas sucesivas que retienen su posición de manera permanente. En los estudios ontogenéticos de pteridospermas los mecanismos reguladores del desarrollo deben ser discernidos por medio de la comparación con ontogenias de plantas vivientes comparables. Esta extrapolación es posible ya que se sabe que los procesos ...