The arthropod class Diplopoda (the millipedes) comprises ~12,000 described species that are distributed worldwide in nearly every biome. The group has a deep evolutionary history that includes some of the very first terrestrial animals, dating from the mid-Silurian over 400 million years ago. Despite their ecological importance as decomposers in forests, wealth of diversity (estimated 20,000-80,000 species), and prominence as chemical warriors owing to their vast array of defense secretions, the group is woefully understudied. The research team will revise the current ordinal and family-level classification systems using a modern phylogenomic framework based on next generation sequence data and then employ these data to explore the evolution of chemical defense secretions and their precursors.
This project seeks to greatly enhance the accessibility of millipede diversity through the development of a morphological atlas for the group, production of the first illustrated key to millipede families, and publication of the first complete millipede species catalog. The project team will develop a strong collaborative research and training network and will partner with collaborators worldwide. Training in millipede systematics, morphology, and genomics will include a broad range of individuals from high school students and teachers, undergraduate researchers, a postdoctoral trainee, to students participating in organized training workshops, to be held in the Southeastern US and in Bangkok, Thailand.
