Genomic-Morphogenetic Correlations and Evolutionary Trajectories of Bilateria

Abstract

Comparative genomics helps to link characteristics of the genome and evolutionary trajectories by revealing the genomic correlates of morphological complexity and differences in the body plans of multicellular animals. Comparison of the organization of Hox clusters and expression of Hox genes with organismal morphology allows the emergence of macroevolutionary innovations as changes in morphogenesis and body plan of Bilateria, depending on the pattern of Hox code to be traced. We examine a correlation node that includes various types of organization of clustered (initially) Hox genes, early embryogenesis type, cellular developmental resources, thereby determining alternative evolutionary trajectories of various Bilateria taxa. Biological diversity inevitably manifests itself at all levels of organization and all stages of the evolution of the animal world, and therefore the reduction of the evolutionary strategies of Bilateria, and, moreover, all Metazoa, to a few simplified versions is impossible.