Molecular phylogeny of dragon millipedes (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) from mainland SouthEast Asia, with description of a new genus and species
Issued Date
2024-09-01
Resource Type
ISSN
00244082
eISSN
10963642
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85205993474
Journal Title
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume
202
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Vol.202 No.1 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Srisonchai R., Enghoff H., Likhitrakarn N., Jeratthitikul E., Jirapatrasilp P., Panha S., Sutcharit C. Molecular phylogeny of dragon millipedes (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) from mainland SouthEast Asia, with description of a new genus and species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Vol.202 No.1 (2024). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad164 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/101646
Title
Molecular phylogeny of dragon millipedes (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) from mainland SouthEast Asia, with description of a new genus and species
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Recent taxonomic revision of the strikingly ornamented millipedes known as ‘dragon millipedes’ in the family Paradoxosomatidae, has revealed generic division into six genera. The majority of species are distributed in mainland South-East Asia and each genus is restricted to a well-delimited area. However, their evolutionary history has remained poorly understood, particularly the relationships among genera and their biogeographic distribution. We present a comprehensive and well-resolved molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes. A dataset of 256 sequences representing 40 dragon millipede species was newly generated and analysed in order to reveal the relationships and to explore the origin using ancestral range reconstruction. All dragon millipedes were retrieved together as monophyletic, each genus except Hylomus forming a distinct clade with strong statistical values, supporting the previous classification using morphology. A new monotypic genus and new species, Siamaxytes bifurca Srisonchai and Panha gen. nov. et sp. nov., was revealed based on distinct morphological and DNA data. The Tenasserim mountain range was inferred to be the centre of origin of dragon millipedes with a series of subsequent diversifications across mainland South-East Asia. Our analysis provides evidence that both dispersal and vicariance presumably played a role in shaping these millipedes’ distribution and diversification.