Paleoparasitological results for rodent coprolites from Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

NORMA HAYDÉE SARDELLA, MARTÍN HORACIO FUGASSA, DIEGO DAMIÁN RINDEL, RAFAEL AGUSTÍN GOÑI

MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz

Lugar: Río de Janeiro; Año: 2010 vol. 105 p. 33 - 40

1678-8060

The aim of this study was to examine the parasite remains present in rodent coprolites collected from the archaeologicalsite Alero Destacamento Guardaparque (ADG) located in the Perito Moreno National Park (SantaCruz Province, 47º57?S 72º05?W). Forty-eight coprolites were obtained from the layers 7, 6 and 5 of ADG, dated at6,700 ± 70, 4,900 ± 70 and 3,440 ± 70 years BP, respectively. The faecal samples were processed and examined usingpaleoparasitological procedures. A total of 582 eggs of parasites were found in 47 coprolites. Samples were positivefor eggs of Trichuris sp. (Nematoda: Trichuridae), Calodium sp., Eucoleus sp., Echinocoleus sp. and an unidentifiedcapillariid (Nematoda: Capillariidae) and for eggs of Monoecocestus (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae). Quantitativedifferences among layer for both coprolites and parasites were recorded. In this study, the specific filiations of parasites,their zoonotic importance, the rodent identity, on the basis of previous zooarchaeological knowledge, and theenvironmental conditions during the Holocene in the area are discussed.