https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240211/new-species-of-millipede-discovered-in-jungles-of-tanzania-1065029662.html
New Species of Millipede Discovered in Jungles of Tanzania
New Species of Millipede Discovered in Jungles of Tanzania
Sputnik Africa
Millipedes are among the the oldest creatures to have lived on land. The first known millipede, Pneumodesmus newmani, was only 1 centimeter long and appeared... 11.02.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-02-11T17:13+0100
2024-02-11T17:13+0100
2024-02-11T17:13+0100
sub-saharan africa
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Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia found millipedes - with heads resembling Star Wars characters - among the forest floor and loose soil while examining tree and vine growth in the remote Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania, the university's website said.According to the researchers, millipedes are helping to define different theories about the role of vines in forest regeneration: whether vines are bandages protecting wounds or parasitoids choking the forest.He noted that the newly discovered species have about 200 legs each and are several centimeters long, while African millipedes can grow up to 35 centimeters in length. According to the professor, the find demonstrated how much more there is to be found in the rainforest.The university added that the millipede specimens are now in the Danish Museum of Natural History at the University of Copenhagen.
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Maxim Grishenkin
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tanzania, east africa, australia, animals, research, nature, forest
tanzania, east africa, australia, animals, research, nature, forest
New Species of Millipede Discovered in Jungles of Tanzania
Millipedes are among the the oldest creatures to have lived on land. The first known millipede, Pneumodesmus newmani, was only 1 centimeter long and appeared in the Paleozoic Era, 252-541 million years ago.
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia found millipedes - with heads resembling Star Wars characters - among the forest floor and loose soil while examining tree and vine growth in the remote Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania, the university's website said.
According to the researchers, millipedes are helping
to define different theories about the role of vines in forest regeneration: whether vines are bandages protecting wounds or parasitoids choking the forest.
"We record millipedes of all sizes during our fieldwork to measure forest recovery because they are great indicators of forest health, but we didn’t realize the significance of these species until the myriapodologists had assessed our specimens," Professor Andy Marshall, who reported the discovery, said.
He noted that the newly discovered species have about 200 legs each and are several centimeters long, while African millipedes can grow up to 35 centimeters in length.
According to the professor, the find demonstrated how much more there is
to be found in the rainforest.
The university added that the millipede specimens are now in the Danish Museum of Natural History at the University of Copenhagen.
