Millipedes Rewrote Earth's History

Millipedes just smashed the timeline—thriving on land 80 million years before dinosaurs, acting as Earth’s unsung ecosystem engineers. New research stitches together their full family tree using DNA and fossils, solving mysteries of rare species found only in remote corners of Mexico and the Canary Islands. Turns out one “lost” group wasn’t separate at all, while another finally found its evolutionary home. And yes, they were the first chemical warriors, defending themselves with toxins long before flowers or trees existed. These tiny titans quietly recycled nutrients and paved the way for life as we know it—still doing their vital work today, with countless species yet to be discovered. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/33eeec88c9105947