Newly Discovered Millipede Described Using 3D Avatar

Posted on September 5, 2015

Researchers have discovered a new millipede species in Spain. Advanced 3D technology was used to publish a cybertype-enhanced description of the millipede. It is the first new species to be described using these detailed 3D images.

The creature has been named Ommatoiulus avatar because of its digital alter ego or cybertype. The announcement was made by researchers from the Natural History Museum Vienna, Natural History Museum of Denmark and the University of Vienna.

Dr. Nesrine Akkari from NHMW Vienna says in the announcement, "The use of virtual specimens demonstrates how much useful scientific data can be obtained without dissecting the original specimen, which is often unavoidable in studying millipede genitalia. At the same time it allows a general overview of the different anatomical structures and their natural position in unprecedented way."

The cybertype data for the millipede can be found here in the Dryad digital repository. The research paper on Ommatoiulus avatar can be found here in the journal, PLoS One.

The researchers see a growing use of avatars to describe specimens in the future. Professor Henrik Enghoff from the Natural History Museum of Denmark says, "Almost two million species of living organisms have been scientifically described, but several times this number remain unknown to science. Each species has unique traits and plays a unique role in Nature, and if we want to know how Nature functions, we need to know the players in the game - that is, the species. By applying microCT to the taxonomic process of discovering, recognizing, and describing species we can do a much better job than before. The cybertype of our millipede, Ommatoiulus avatar, is so far a lone forerunner, but more will surely follow."

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