Evolution of bioluminescence in millipedes

动物使用无数的策略来避免捕食-伪装，刺和毒素是其中的几个。 有毒的、不可食用的或其他有害的动物通常会通过警告信号来宣传这一点，例如黄色夹克上的黄色和黑色条纹或蛇的嘎嘎声。 生物发光的千足虫，只在加州发现，用氰化物保护，它们的蓝绿色发光被假设为夜间的警告信号。 本计画将利用分子系统学方法分析千足虫的演化关系，以确定生物发光的起源，并探讨生物发光演化的生态环境。《生物多样性公约》还将为千足虫生物多样性的稳定分类系统建立一个框架。该项目的收集部分将提供在生命之树网络项目上公开张贴的物种信息。 还将制作教育网站，包括作为全球生态系统重要成员的分解者的详细信息，因为它们提供健康生态系统所必需的功能。

Animals use myriad strategies to avoid predation -- camouflage, spines, and toxins are among a few. Animals that are toxic, inedible, or otherwise noxious often advertise this by a warning signal, for example the yellow and black stripes of a yellowjacket or the rattle of a snake. Bioluminescent millipedes, known only from California, are defended with cyanide and their green-blue glow is hypothesized to be a nocturnal warning signal. In this project, the evolutionary relationships of millipedes will be analyzed, using molecular phylogenetic methods, to pinpoint the origin of bioluminescence, and the ecological circumstances under which bioluminescence evolved will be investigated. The phylogeny will also establish a framework for a stable classification system for millipede biodiversity. The collections component of this project will provide species information posted publicly on the Tree of Life Web Project. Educational websites will also be produced, including detailed information on decomposers as important members of the global ecosystem, as they provide functions that are essential to healthy ecosystems.