The ideas of E. G. Racovitza which led to the development of biospelaeology (biospeology, is the term used by Racovitza and adopted here) are reviewed. We emphasize the important research programme named Biospeologica which allowed to implement practical investigations on the subterranean animals due to enthusiastic cooperative work of many scientists. It leads to the exploration of many caves and other hypogean habitats. It is stressed out that the aim of Racovitza’s efforts was to stimulate
scientists to contribute with their research to the development of an encyclopedic view of the “Natural History of the Subterranean Domain”. Examples from our own research reflect such ideas. We adopted Racovitza’s views on the phylogenetic systematics,
on the way to identify the relict aspect displayed by many subterranean animal groups. Also it is pointed out the importance of Racovitza’s ideas for reconstruction of the dynamic dispersion of homogeneous phylogenetic animal lineages in time and space. Such ideas help us to develop biogeographic scenarios which are important for understanding earth’s history. It is confirmed this
way that the ambitious programme of Racovitza, became during the time a real research tradition that merits being pursued by young naturalists interested in solving exciting problems related to the origin and evolution of the subterranean domain and its ecosystems
