Darwin used observations of homology from comparative embryologyto support his hypothesis of “descent with modification.†Which ofthe following observations about the role of Hox genes inthe development of insects and mammals are consistentwith Darwin’s hypothesis?
Select all that apply. (Note that all of these statements aretrue, but not all of them offer support for his perspective. You’llneed to apply what you know both about Hox genes and theidea of descent with modification, to sort through them.)
A. Hox genes exist in all known animal taxa
B. Numerous duplications of Hox genes have resulted insubfunctionalization in different organisms
C. In mice, Hox genes are expressed inanterior-posterior patterns
D. Limb development in bilaterian animals is driven byHox genes (although the exact genes may differ among theseanimals)
