Centipede systematics
The centipede Scolopendra oraniensis from Sicily. The phylogeny of the Order Scolopendromorpha is one of the areas of centipede research at the Museum.
Centipedes (Chilopoda) encompass some 3,500 living species and have a geological record that extends back to the Silurian, deep into the history of soil and litter animal assemblages.
Natural History Museum research on centipedes includes:
- studies on deep phylogeny as well as phylogeography
- taxonomy of most major groups
- comparative morphology
- palaeontology, including amber fossils from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic
Staff involved in this research:
-
Evolution of centipedes
An introduction to the research of Dr Greg Edgecombe on the evolutionary biology of centipedes.