Comments on: New: Hawaiian Fish, Panama Salamanders, and Madagascar Millipedes

By: Mnynames

Mnynames — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 07:13:22 +0000

Mystery Man,
I always had great fun relating that fact about Isopods when I was conducting field trips into the salt marshes of Brigantine, NJ. I also learned that almost nobody knows them as Sow Bugs anymore, and very few as Pill Bugs, at least in the areas of New Jersey and Philadelphia. Almost everyone knew them as Roly Poly’s, as I did too, growing up in the Atlantic City area.

As for convergent evolution, the “Stop, Drop, & Roll” survival strategy of the Pill Bug is quite effective, as any Atomic Energy Commissioner can tell you…LOL. I suspect in the event of a nuclear explosion, however, that it would be a lot more effective for these little guys than it would us…

Sschaper, if you’re asking for a simple size comparison between the 2, it depends on the Trilobite, as there are hundreds of known species, some small, others quite large.

By: sschaper

sschaper — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:38:35 +0000

Loren,
I guess it might even get into the splitter/joiner controversy (like the ox report), but do we know that about the trilobite from actual observations of the fossils? We don’t have DNA to comparatively sequence. Sometimes classifications can be awfully subjective. Of course similar forms of dissimilar animals is well-known as you point out.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:20:44 +0000

It may be interesting for some to note that the common garden variety “pill bug” or “rolly polly” is actually a terrestrial crustacean. If you consider all arthropods to be “bugs”, then I suppose you could call them that, but then you’d have to call crabs “bugs” too. Wouldn’t be very appetizing on a seafood menu, I’d imagine. It is interesting that Loren brings up convergence evolution, because there are many unrelated creatures that share the appearance and some of the functions of our “pill bug” friends and they haven’t changed much in a very long time. It seems to be a very successful form to take.

By: Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:48:25 +0000

One person’s “pill millipede” is another person’s “pill bug” or “sow bug” or “woodlouse” or “potato bug.” This is not to be confused with the “potato beetle,” a/k/a the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, also known as the Colorado beetle, ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle.

By: twas brillig

twas brillig — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:46:08 +0000

WOW! that PILL MILLIPEDE is UNBELIEVABLY STUNNING! Looks like it received an expensive acrylic or laquered paint finish. Exquisite! Right out of science fiction! I was thinking it looked more like a pill bug (potato bug) than a trilobite tho.

Tragedy does not express adequately the magnitude of the loss of plant and animal species we stand to lose as Madagascar’s remaining forests are decimated.

By: Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:26:07 +0000

Actually, convergence evolution (as in why a dolphin and a shark look alike) is fooling you into thinking there’s very direct relationship between trilobites and millipedes.

They are as close as a cat and a pigeon, separated on the order of Class divisions.

a cat

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Suborder:
Feliformia
Family:
Felidae

a pigeon

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Columbiformes
Family:
Columbidae

a trilobite

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Trilobita

a millipede

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Myriapoda
Class:
Diplopoda

By: sschaper

sschaper — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:14:09 +0000

How does that “pill millipede” compare to a triobite?

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:22:15 +0000

Back from vacation and on the site and I see this fascinating pic of the new millipede that just drew my eyes to it. Beautiful, but I wouldn’t want to find one of those creeping around my room at night.

By: DWA

DWA — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:51:11 +0000

I should add: a new millipede, big as an orange when rolled up. Totally new to science.

On an island that’s been intensively studied, and cultivated, for a long long time.

So we’ve discovered everything now, right?

By: Mnynames

Mnynames — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:02:59 +0000

Is it just me, or does the species Bolitoglossa gomezi look like it’s well on its way to evolving into a Caecilian? Are they of any close relation, or just similar lifestyle?