science
Millipedes beat vertebrates to land by 80 million years
Key takeaways
- For hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs appeared and long before vertebrates ventured onto land, millipedes were already thriving on Earth's surface.
- These humble decomposers played a key role in some of the planet's earliest terrestrial ecosystems.
- Now, an international team led by Virginia Tech researchers has filled in one of the final gaps in the millipede family tree, shedding new light on the ancient creatures that helped prepare Earth for life on land.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
For hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs appeared and long before vertebrates ventured onto land, millipedes were already thriving on Earth's surface.
These humble decomposers played a key role in some of the planet's earliest terrestrial ecosystems. Yet despite their remarkable history, major questions about their evolution remained unanswered.
Now, an international team led by Virginia Tech researchers has filled in one of the final gaps in the millipede family tree, shedding new light on the ancient creatures that helped prepare Earth for life on land.
Article preview — originally published by Science Daily. Full story at the source.
Read full story on Science Daily →
More top stories
Also covered by
Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from Science Daily alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place.
Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop