First paleoparasitological record of acanthocephalan eggs from Northwestern Patagonia (Late Holocene, Argentina)

MARÍA ORNELA BELTRAME ; FERNANDO J. FERNÁNDEZ; NORMA HAYDEÉ SARDELLA

ACTA TROPICA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 146 p. 33 - 35

0001-706X

Eggs representative of an acanthocephalan were found in a fragment of raptor pellet, probably belonged to the barn owl, Tyto alba, from the archaeological site Epullán Chica cave. This site is located at the southern of Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The fragment of pellet was found in a layer with charcoals dated at 1980 ± 80 years B.P. Acanthocephalan eggs were very well-preserved, and were identified as belonged to Class Archiacanthocephala, Order Oligacanthorhynchida, Family Oligacanthorhynchidae, probably or Macracanthorhynchus Travassos, 1917 or Oligacanthorhynchus Travassos, 1915. This is the first report of small mammal acanthocephalans from ancient material wordwide.