Pooja Avinipully Anilkumar
My current research focuses on the systematics, evolution, and biogeography of velvet worms (Onychophora). I seek to understand how Neotropical onychophorans (Neopatida) have dispersed and diversified over space and time using an integrative approach that combines phylogenomics (UCEs), historical biogeography, and classical taxonomic descriptions.
My other research focuses on the systematics, evolution, and biogeography of Indian millipedes. Currently, I am currently focusing on the fauna of the Western Ghats region of India. The millipede groups that interest me are Pentazonia, Colobognatha, Spirobolida, and Micro-polydesmida. I will use some of these groups as model organisms to test various hypotheses about the biogeographic history of the Indian Western Ghats and the Indian subcontinent in general using the methods mentioned above.
Master of Science in Organismic, Evolutionary and Palaeobiology (OEP-Biology), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany, 2017 - 2021
Master of Science in Zoology, Madras Christian College (Autonomous) University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 2015 - 2017
Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Christ College (Autonomous), University of Calicut, Thrissur, Kerala, India, 2012 - 2015
Anilkumar PA*, Wesener T, Moritz L (2022) First record of the order Polyzoniida from
the Indian sub-continent with integrative description of a new genus (Diplopoda,
Polyzoniida, Siphonotidae). Zootaxa 5182 (5): 401–428.
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5182.5.1
Wesener T, Anilkumar PA* (2020) The millipedes collected by the Museum "La
Specola" on Madagascar 1989/1991, with the description of three new species of giant
pill-millipedes (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaeridae). In: Korsós Z, Dányi L
(Eds) Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Myriapodology, Budapest,
Hungary. ZooKeys 930: 3–35. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.930.47620