In metazoa, increases in morphological complexity usually correspond with increased modularity within early development regulation. This regulation corresponds to development genes, specifically hox genes. Hox genes have a history of duplication in multicellular life, both in whole genome duplications as well as tandem duplication of specific hox genes. These duplications allow for a modular structure of the body, with repeated parts that are individualized in each species. Examples of these indlude vertebrae, appendages, and even the modular nature of the limb itself.
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