First paleoparasitological record of digenean eggs from a native deer from Patagonia Argentina (Cueva Parque Diana archaeological site)

TIETZE, ELEONOR; BELTRAME, MARÍA ORNELA; SARDELLA, NORMA HAYDEÉ; PÉREZ, ALBERTO ENRIQUE

VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 235 p. 83 - 85

0304-4017

Eggs representative of a digenean species were found in coprolites belonged toan endemic deer from Patagonia. Samples were collected from thearcheological site named ?Cueva Parque Diana?. This site is a cave located atthe Lanín National Park, Neuquén Province, Argentina. The coprolites weredated from 2370 ± 70 to 580 ±60 years B.P. The eggs were ellipsoidal,operculated, yellowish and thin-shelled. Measurements (n = 65) ranged from120.0 to 142.5 (133.2 ± 6.53) μm long and 62.5 to 87.5 (72.6 ± 6.15) μm wide.Eggs were well-preserved and were identified as belonged to Class Trematoda,Subclass Digenea, similar to those of Fasciola hepatica or with another speciesnot identified at present from Patagonia. This is the first report of digenean eggsfrom ancient deer worldwide. The present study confirms the presence ofrepresentatives of digenean species in endemic deer from Patagonia in ancienttimes and the presence of a trematode disease prior to the arrival of Europeancattle.