The "regulatory genome" for animal development -- Cis-regulatory modules, and the structure/function basis of regulatory logic -- Development as a process of regulatory state specification -- Gene regulatory networks for development : what they are, how they work, and what they mean -- Gene regulatory networks : the roots of causality and diversity in animal evolution.

Explains the control of animal development in terms of structure/function relations of inherited regulatory DNA sequence, and the emergent properties of the gene regulatory networks composed of these sequences. New insights into the mechanisms of body plan evolution are derived from considerations of the consequences of change in developmental gene regulatory networks. Examples of crucial evidence underscore each major concept.