Head anatomy and phylogenomics show the Carboniferous giant <i>Arthropleura</i> belonged to a millipede-centipede group
The Carboniferous myriapod <i>Arthropleura</i> is the largest arthropod of all time, but its fossils are usually incomplete, limiting the understanding of its anatomy, ecology, and relationships. Micro-computed tomography applied to exceptionally preserved specimens from the Carboniferous Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (France) reveals unprecedented details of its functional anatomy, such as the head and mouthparts. <i>Arthropleura</i> shares features with both millipedes and centipedes. Total-evidence phylogeny combining morphological and transcriptomic data resolves <i>Arthropleura</i> alone as a stem group millipede, but the inclusion of the highly incomplete Siluro-Devonian <i>Eoarthropleura</i> draws it deeper into the myriapod stem. <i>Arthropleura</i> suggests transitional morphology between clades united primarily by molecular information and underscores the value of total-evidence phylogenetics to understanding evolutionary history.
Authors
- Nicolás Mongiardino Koch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6317-5869)
- Gilles Escarguel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0985-6369)
- Gregory D. Edgecombe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9591-8011)
- Jean Vannier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0998-1231)
- Aude Bergeret-Medina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6996-5949)
- Russell J. Garwood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2803-9471)
- Jérôme Adrien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0341-3559)
- Mickaël Lhéritier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0652-2907)
- Vincent Perrier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6792-5214)
- Vincent Fernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8315-1458)
- Alexis Gerbe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0609-2391)
- Adrien Buisson
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Natural History Museum (GB)
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US)
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (FR)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Matériaux Ingénierie et Science (FR)
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (FR)
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon : Terre, Planètes et Environnement (FR)
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2024-10-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp6362
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.53
Funders
- Sight Research UK
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon
- Natural Environment Research Council