Hox Genes

Description:  Hox genes control the body plan of organisms with each hox gene coding for a specific body part. Hox gene mutations (e.g. a fruit fly with a leg in the place of an antenna) can lead to investigations on development. Similarities in hox genes across various animals can show phylogeny.

Web Resource: Hox genes - Wikipedia

What underlies the incredible diversity of life on Earth? How have complex life forms evolved? The journey from water to land, the return of land mammals to the sea, and the emergence of humans all suggest that creatures past and present are members of a single tree of life.