Metamerism (biology)

Metamerism is the segmentation of the animal body in successive portions. Originally, all segments of the same kind designed ( homonomous metamerism or segmentation homonomous ), such as the earthworm, whose body consists of many built in the same segments. In the course of evolution, many animals, such as insects, a different segmentation ( heteronomous metamerism ) developed. In vertebrates, the metamerism is obtained in the form of articulated spine. The functional specialization of segments leads to the heteronomous segmentation and the formation of tagmata ( Tagmatisierung ).