BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//pretalx//talks.caving.dev//nss-convention-2026//talk//T3ZU8C
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:EST
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20001029T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10;UNTIL=20061029T070000Z
TZNAME:EST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20071104T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=11
TZNAME:EST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:20000402T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=4;UNTIL=20060402T080000Z
TZNAME:EDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:20070311T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYMONTH=3
TZNAME:EDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:pretalx-nss-convention-2026-T3ZU8C@talks.caving.dev
DTSTART;TZID=EST:20260708T093000
DTEND;TZID=EST:20260708T095000
DESCRIPTION:North American cave-obligate millipedes remain poorly understoo
 d\, with limited resolution of species boundaries and evolutionary relatio
 nships despite their ecological and conservation importance. Here\, we pre
 sent the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the genus Sco
 terpes (Chordeumatida: Trichopetalidae)\, a taxonomically challenging grou
 p of troglobionts distributed across the southern Interior Low Plateau and
  Appalachians karst regions in the eastern United States.\n\nTo assess gen
 etic diversity and species limits\, we compiled an extensive dataset consi
 sting of over 400 specimens from more than 120 cave sites\, drawing from e
 xisting collections from the Cave Bio Lab at UAH and new collections targe
 ting undersampled regions. We are generating DNA sequence data from two mi
 tochondrial loci (16S rRNA and COI) and two nuclear genes (28S rRNA and hi
 stone H3) to infer phylogenetic relationships and evaluate species delimit
 ation. Preliminary analyses of the mitochondrial COI locus reveal substant
 ial genetic structuring across geographic regions\, suggesting the presenc
 e of previously unrecognized cryptic diversity within Scoterpes.\n\nOngoin
 g multilocus analyses will further refine phylogenetic relationships and p
 rovide a robust framework for delimiting species. These results will impro
 ve our understanding of diversification and evolutionary history in subter
 ranean systems and provide critical baseline data for conservation and lan
 d management. By clarifying species boundaries and distributions\, this st
 udy contributes to more effective protection of cave-restricted biodiversi
 ty and highlights the extent of undocumented diversity in North American k
 arst ecosystems.
DTSTAMP:20260826T233001Z
LOCATION:205
SUMMARY:Examining phylogenetic relationships and cryptic diversity in the g
 enus Scoterpes (Chordeumatida: Trichopetalidae)\, a wide-ranging genus of 
 North American cave-obligate millipedes - 
URL:https://talks.caving.dev/nss-convention-2026/talk/T3ZU8C/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR