Arthropleurids are indeed myriapods (was RE: insects - not! (OT))

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> David Marjanovic
>
> * Millipedes, centipedes, a few smaller groups, and probably
> arthropleurids -- the things that reached a length of ~ 2 m in the
> Carboniferous and are believed to have munched rotten wood or something,
> though I don't know why.
>
Arthropleurids were indeed myriapods; more specifically, diplopods (aka 
millipedes). In my classes I've given them the nickname
"godzillapedes".

Heather Wilson (formerly a postdoc at the Dept. of Entomology here, now at 
Yale) has done a lot of revisions on the anatomy and
systematics of this group of myriapods.

Check out http://www.life.umd.edu/entm/shultzlab/vtab/arthropleuridea.htm

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796