Virginia_Tech Solves Millipede Evolution Mystery

An international team of scientists, led by United States — West Virginia, has solved a major mystery in millipede evolution by completing the first evolutionary history of all living millipede orders. The research, published in Current Biology, combined genomic data from living species with morphological evidence from fossils, tracing millipede origins to nearly 460 million years ago. This discovery places millipedes as pioneers of terrestrial ecosystems, predating vertebrates on land by over 80 million years. Key to this breakthrough was the collection and DNA analysis of two rare millipede groups, Siphoniulus and Siphonocryptida, which had eluded classification for over a century. Paul Marek, the study's lead investigator, and Luisa Fernanda Vasquez-Valverde, the paper's first author, highlighted the painstaking fieldwork involved. The study also revealed that millipedes developed chemical defenses around 260 million years ago. The research was funded by the United States — National Science Foundation and involved collaborations with several other institutions.