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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

The master genes that sculpt tentacles and legs alike

Diverse groups of animals rely on the same genes to ensure that limbs form as they should.
Two Pharaoh cuttlefish fighting

The limbs on these duelling pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) formed with guidance from genes that also direct limb development in vertebrates. Credit: Steve De Neef/VW Pics/Universal Images Group/Getty

Cuttlefish and their kin form tentacles by deploying the same genes that direct the growth of arms in humans and legs in spiders.

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Nature 570, 278 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01829-9

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