Paleoparasitology of holocenic rodents from the archaeological site "Alero Destacamento Guardaparque", Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

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

Necochea, Argentina

Congreso; Puentes y Transiciones-III Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America (PAMINSA); 2009

Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

The archaeological site Alero Destacamento Guardaparque is a rockshelter situated in the Perito Moreno National Park (47º40S, 72º30W), Santa Cruz province, in a hill of low altitude. Since 1990 excavations are conducted in the area. The aim of this work was to examine the parasitic remains present in rodent coprolites collected from the site. Forty-eight faeces were examined from layers 7, 6 and 5, dated 6700 +-70, 4900 +-70 and 3440+-70 years before present, respectively. Each coprolite was measured, whole processed, rehydrated with trissodium phosphate and 10% acetic formalin, homogeneized and allowed to spontaneous sediment. Microscopic observations were made and the eggs of parasites were measured and photographed. A total of 582 eggs of helminths were found in 47 coprolites. Samples were positive for Trichuris  sp. (Nematoda Trichuridae), Calodium sp.,  Eucoleus sp., Echinocoleus sp., an unidentified capillarid (Nematoda: Capillariidae) and for Monoecocestus sp. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae). Quantitative differences among layers were registered for both coprolites and parasites. The specific filiation of parasites, their zoonotic importance, the rodent identity on the basis of previous zooarcheological knowledge and the environmental conditions during the Early Holocene in the studied area, are discussed.