If genes for structures that are found in insects, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are consistent, why do these animals have such different numbers of chromosomes?
First off it is important to be clear that chromosome number has little relationship to gene content. Genes often move between chromosomes without any major change in their function and chromosomes often fuse and split (see above). The reason that an overlapping set of genes can yield such different organisms involves the following: (1) the number of genes of a given type may vary between species; (2) the genes can be slightly different in mode of action; (3) the genes can be turned on and off in different patterns; (4) some basically new genes can arise (e.g., when pieces of two ancestral genes get fused together).
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