Entomologists Uncover Millipede Evolution: A Comprehensive History

Ancient millipedes still had secrets to tell

Long before vertebrates walked on land, millipedes had the place to themselves. Hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs arrived, these early decomposers were helping establish Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. But despite their ancient history, scientists still hadn’t fully unraveled their evolutionary story. Now, a Virginia Tech-led team of international scientists has solved one of the last major mysteries in millipede evolution, revealin…

Ancient Millipedes Rewrite the Story of Life on Land

Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth and tens of millions of years before the first vertebrates ventured onto land, millipedes were already helping shape the planet’s earliest terrestrial ecosystems. Now, a major international study led by researchers at Virginia Tech has uncovered new evidence suggesting these ancient arthropods appeared far earlier than previously believed. Published […] The post Ancient Millipedes Rewrite the Story of Life …

Millipedes Beat Vertebrates Onto Land by More Than 80 Million Years

A new study has resolved one of the final mysteries in the evolutionary saga of millipedes, offering fresh insight into the humble decomposers that helped prepare the planet for more complex terrestrial life as discovered. That long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth and long before the first backboned animals existed, millipedes were already thriving on […]

Entomologists Uncover Millipede Evolution: A Comprehensive History

Two previously elusive millipede groups, Siphoniurida and Siphonocryptida, have been identified as the last missing links in the evolutionary history of Earth’s oldest land animals, as revealed by a research team from Virginia Tech. As of now, 14,232 millipede species have been identified, with countless others yet to be documented. Image credit: Vazquez Valverde et [...] The post Entomologists Uncover Millipede Evolution: A Comprehensive Histor…

Entomologists Reconstruct Evolutionary History of Millipedes

Two elusive groups of millipedes, Siphoniulida and Siphonocryptida, were the last missing pieces in the evolutionary history of Earth’s oldest land animals, according to a team of entomologists led by Virginia Tech. The post Entomologists Reconstruct Evolutionary History of Millipedes appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.