World's leggiest millipede caught on camera

The anatomical secrets of the world's leggiest creature, a millipede with 750 legs, have been revealed by scientists.

The species, called Illacme plenipes, was first seen 80 years ago but was recently rediscovered in California.

Now researchers have found that as well as bearing an extreme number of legs, the creature may have more in common with millipedes that lived millions of years ago than today's species.

Here, Paul Marek, the lead author of the study (published in the journal ZooKeys), talks to BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle about why this creature has so many legs and how it compares with other millipedes.

Footage courtesy of Dr Paul Marek