Citation
A homologous protein-coding sequence in Drosophila homeotic genes and its conservation in other metazoans
TL;DR
Hox genes are conserved across all animals with bilateral symmetry
This landmark paper discovered that Hox genes are conserved across the animal kingdom - from fruit flies to humans. This conservation demonstrates that evolution has repeatedly used the same modular developmental toolkit to build diverse body plans.
The finding that the same genetic modules produce vastly different organisms through differential expression (not different genes) is foundational to the chapter's argument that modular systems achieve diversity through recombination and regulatory changes rather than wholesale redesign. This principle applies directly to organizational modularity.
Key Findings from McGinnis et al. (1984)
- Hox genes are conserved across all animals with bilateral symmetry
- The same modular toolkit produces diverse body plans
- Gene order on chromosome corresponds to body region specification
- Evolutionary diversity comes from expression changes, not new genes