Helminth Remains from Prehistoric Indian Coprolites on the Colorado Plateau

Abstract

Examination of coprolites excavated from archaeological sites in the Americas demonstrates excellent preservation of helminth eggs and, in some cases, larvae. To gain an understanding of helminth parasitism in prehistory on the Colorado Plateau of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, 319 coprolites from 5 archaeological sites were analyzed. Helminth eggs and larvae were recovered after the coprolites were rehydrated, screened, and sedimented. At a sixth site, soils excavated from 5 rooms used as latrine areas were processed with palynological techniques. The results indicate that all but 1 of the prehistoric populations examined were infected with intestinal worms. The helminths implicated are Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichiura, cf. Ascaris lumbricoides, cf. Trichostrongylus sp., cf. Strongyloides sp., taeniid cestodes, and hymenolepidid cestodes. The study suggests that prehistoric hunter-gatherer peoples carried fewer helminth parasites than agriculturalists. At 1 site, it appears that increased helminth parasitism preceded abandonment of the village. In North America, some of the first analyses were done in the Great Basin of Nevada and northwestern Utah (Fig. 1) The report presented below, of analyses of coprolites from the Colorado Plateau, doubles the total number of coprolites that have been analyzed for helminth remains from the western states. The coprolite samples represent both prehistoric hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists. The analyses constitute a significant contribution to our knowledge of parasitism in the prehistory of the American Southwest. MATERIALS AND METHODSThree hundred nineteen coprolites, as well as soil samples, were examined from 6 sites ( For the purposes ofhelminthological study, only 0.5-g samples were rehydrated from each coprolite. Before the samples were taken, the coprolites were examined for evidence of bore holes through which nematodes from the surrounding environment may have entered the feces. All coprolites were rehydrated in a 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution. To ensure rehydration, the coprolites were completely immersed in the solution for a minimum of 48 hr and a maximum of 72 hr. After 24 hr, acetic formalin alcohol was added to each rehydrating coprolite to retard fungal and bacterial decomposition. Disaggregation of the rehydrated coprolites was usually accomplished by washing the material with a jet of distilled water. In many cases, high fiber content of the feces impaired disaggregation. In these cases, the feces were disaggregated with a magnetic stirrer. After disaggregation, the feces were screened with distilled water through 0.95-mm and 0.5-mm screens. The fluid that passed through the screens was centrifuged to concentrate microscopic remains containing helminth eggs. The microscopic remains were transferred to vials in acetic formalin alcohol and allowed to settle. After sedimentation, the upper levels of the remains were pipetted onto microscopic slides, mounted in glycerol, and scanned for the presence of eggs or larvae. Three prepara...

Parasites as probes for prehistoric human migrations?

“…Whipworm eggs were found in human coprolites and in the intestines of mummies in Brazil, Peru and Chile [24][25][26][27]. In North America, whipworm eggs have been found in coprolites from the prehistoric site of Elden Pueblo (AZ, USA) aged, conservatively, approximately 800 years old [28][29][30]. Prehistoric infection with these parasites shows a North to South American distribution [31] and hookworm infection was present in ancient inhabitants of South America dated to 7,000 years BP (before present) [32].…”

“…The presence of another parasite, S. stercoralis (threadworm), in prehistoric New World humans defied explanation for many years [29,39,40]. Threadworm has multiple variations in its life cycle: female juvenile worms infect humans either by burrowing through the skin or when the infective stage is swallowed.…”

“…However, some juveniles remain in the intestine, where they molt to the infective stage and penetrate the host intestine through autoinfection. Autoinfections can thus maintain the nematode in one person for the lifetime of that person [29,39,40]. Endemic in tropical and subtropical regions presently, S. stercoralis has been found in three prehistoric sites in southwest North America [29,39,40].…”

“…Autoinfections can thus maintain the nematode in one person for the lifetime of that person [29,39,40]. Endemic in tropical and subtropical regions presently, S. stercoralis has been found in three prehistoric sites in southwest North America [29,39,40]. Like whipworm and hookworm, migration of threadworm into the New World cannot be explained easily by a migration through Beringia because this parasite is restricted to warm climates by its life-cycle requirements in soil [29,39].…”

Animal helminths in human archaeological remains: a review of zoonoses in the past

“…Hymenolepis spp. eggs were found in samples from the USA and Sudan 61,107 , although the species were not identified and may be H. nana, specific to humans.…”