Early mutations and new body plans

[Faizal_Ali]

I agree. So when we see apparently minor changes occurring today, how do we know these will not, in fact, be changes just as significant as those that led to new “body plans”? That is to say, those who are looking for where the equivalent mutations mght be occurring may well be looking in the entirely wrong places.

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

That is the question @Faizal_Ali.

For example, are these new body plans? If not, could they become new body plans?

@swamidass

To reiterate:

1. Very genetically different from other clades.
2. Very genetically similar to one another.
3. Very phenotypically different from one another.