First study of fossil rodent middens as source of paleoparasitological evidences (northwestern Patagonia, Argentina)

BELTRAME M. ORNELA; DE PORRAS, EUGENIA; BARBERENA RAMIRO; LLANO, CARINA; SARDELLA NORMA H.

PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 65 p. 352 - 356

1383-5769

The present paper reports the first paleoparasitological results obtained fromcoprolites of fossil rodent middensand demonstrates the potential of rodent middens as a source of paleoparasitological evidences in SouthAmerica. Ten fossil rodent middens from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, were studied. Five coprolites ofeach midden were fully processed, rehydrated, homogenized, subjected to spontaneous sedimentation, and examinedthrough light microscopy. Eight of the 10 examined rodent middens contained parasite eggs. The eggs ofparasites were assigned to Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae Sutton & Hugot, 1989 and Helminthoxys sp.(Nematoda: Oxyuridae), Trichuris sp. (Nematoda: Trichuridae) and one unidentified nematode. Fossil rodentmiddens were assigned to Lagidium viscacia (Caviomorph: Chinchillidae). The excellent preservation of parasiteremains in coprolites from fossil rodent middens provided an opportunity to perform paleoparasitological inferences.The results of this papers demonstrates that fossil rodent middens offer an excellent opportunity for therecovery of parasite remains for future paleoparasitological studies in the southwest of South America.