Diversity, Evolution, and Systematics of Chelicerates

Dear Colleagues, 

Chelicerates, encompassing sea spiders, horseshoe crabs, and arachnids, constitute a taxonomic group that has long remained in the shadows of scientific inquiry. Despite their prevalence in diverse habitats across marine, terrestrial, and aquatic ecosystems, chelicerates have been comparatively understudied. However, their significance is profound, stemming from their ancient evolutionary lineage, ecological roles, ethology, cognition, medical and social relevance, and intriguing physiological adaptations. Moreover, chelicerates serve as vital biological indicators and warrant attention for conservation initiatives.

In this Special Issue, we try to unite a myriad of scholarly papers spanning various disciplines to illuminate the enigmatic world of chelicerates. We invite contributions covering a wide spectrum of topics, including systematic classifications, genetic and genomic analyses, evolutionary studies, phylogenetic reconstructions, phylogeographic investigations, ecological interactions, conservation strategies, and more. The scope is broad, encompassing diverse research approaches aimed at unraveling the complexities of chelicerate biology.

This Special Issue offers a platform for researchers worldwide to disseminate their findings on chelicerates, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. We particularly encourage submissions focusing on tropical and subtropical regions, where chelicerate diversity is abundant yet often overlooked.

Dr. Salima Machkour-M’Rabet
Dr. Yann Hénaut
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• systematic
• genetic and genomic
• evolution
• interaction
• predation
• climate change
• conservation
• ecology