Researchers have identified a new genus and five new species of millipedes in the remote African bush and say the myriaped creature may provide important clues as to whether woody vines are suffocating or protecting the world's forests.
Andy Marshall, a professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said they were studying the growth of trees and vines in Tanzania's remote Udzungwa Mountains when they found millipedes in forest trash and loose soil — with heads that looked a bit like characters from Star Wars.
The new genus and species were formally described in a recent article in the European Journal of Taxonomy entitled "Millipede Mountain", which included lead author Professor Henrik Enghoff from the University of Copenhagen.
A box of millipede samples collected by UNISC Force researchers in Tanzania. **a.r. marshall
Professor Marshall said, "Millipedes, these tiny creatures, will be key to revealing the role of vines in forest restoration. Are they the guardians of wounds, or the killers of the forest? In the field day and night records, we observed millipedes of all sizes, like the pulse of the forest, beating the rhythm of life.
However, it wasn't until myriapodologists dissected our specimens in depth that we truly recognized the importance of these tiny creatures.
Amazingly, many of these newly discovered species did not appear in the early research records. But we are convinced that every new discovery has the potential to shed new light on our research.
The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, aims to explore the recovery of the world's forests after severe disturbances. Let's unravel the mysteries of millipedes and discover the source of life in the forest. ”
Recent findings, part of a global research collaboration, suggest that rising temperatures are a key driver for woody vines to take over forests that have been disturbed by logging and other impacts.
The largest African millipede is known for its numerous legs, which can grow up to 35 centimeters.
Professor Marshall, from the Unisc Forest Research Institute, said that while the millipedes they found were only a few centimeters long, they still had about 200 legs.
This is not the first time Professor Marshall has been excited to discover new species in the course of his research, including a new chameleon and a new tree species that may already be endangered.
He said the unearthing of new genera and species of millipedes highlights the abundance of discoveries that still exist in tropical forests.
Professor Enghoff and his team named one of the new species, Lophostreptus Magombera, after the Magombera Nature Reserve, a biologically unique forest that Professor Marshall has been working to protect since the millennium.
The millipede specimen is now in the Danish Museum of Natural History at the University of Copenhagen.
The new genus is udzungwastreptus. The five new species are lophostreptus magombera; cataract (attemsostreptus cataractae); attemsostreptus leptoptilos;Attemsostreptus julostriatus and Udzungwastreptus Marianae.
Newbie Support Program Reference: "Millipede Mountain xi." Spiral-shaped spiral reptiles (Lepododa, spirochetes, spirochetes) in the Udezongwa Mountains of Tanzania, by Henrik Enghoff, Alain Sk. ngute、revocatus l. kwezaura、richard l. laizzer、herman m. lyatuu、waziri mhagawale、hamidu r.Mnendendo and Andrew RMarshall, January 22, 2024, European Journal of Taxonomy.
doi： 10.5852/ejt.2024.918.2405