Imaging coprolite taphonomy and preservation

Abstract

The impact of coprolite taphonomy on parasite remains and aDNA recovery has been recognized. In general, coprolites from sites protected by geologic features such as caves and rock shelters exhibit the best preservation. In contrast, coprolites from open sites can be badly affected by taphonomic processes as shown by analyses of parasite eggs. For eggs, the impact of mites and free living nematodes has been quantified. Mites are associated with poor pinworm egg preservation. In other studies, percolation of water through sediments has a negative impact on egg recovery. We note that dietary remains can also decompose at open sites. Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we present examples of screened but chemically untreated microscopic remains. "Panorama" SEM images provide an excellent visual overview of the taphonomy of dietary remains. For this study, our focus is on digitalcommons.unl.edu

Metagenomics and microscope revealed T. trichiura and other intestinal parasites in a cesspit of an Italian nineteenth century aristocratic palace

“…Eggs of intestinal worms are often recovered from archaeological samples because their particularly strong shells are very resistant to taphonomic processes. However, pinworm, hookworm and Diphyllobothrium eggs have more fragile eggshells and are mostly found in materials that have been submitted to ideal conditions of conservation, and it has been demonstrated that enclosed sites preserved parasite eggs better than open sites 12,39 . The cesspit located in the Ducal Palace offered a closed, favourable environment to the preservation of parasite eggs, in fact microscopic examination of sediment samples revealed the presence of human or animal parasites as Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp., Diphyllobothrium sp., and Dicrocoelium sp.…”

Coprolite research: archaeological and paleoenvironmental potentials

“…Method standardization is an area we hope to focus on going forward and was the basis of other contributions, including the keynote. Reinhard et al (2019) contribute to methodological developments in coprolite analysis through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to image microscopic remains in coprolites from sites across the southwest region of North America. Reinhard and colleagues use SEM to identify a variety of dietary remains including plant cellular material, seeds, pollen, spores, phytoliths, arthropod remains, and bone, with the goal of investigating dietary components and taphonomic preservation in coprolites.…”

Pinworm research in the Southwest USA: five decades of methodological and theoretical development and the epidemiological approach

“…Until now, archeologists found two latrines, rooms 219 and 225, from which 21 and 22 coprolites were collected, respectively. In this study, samples from these latrines were analyzed separately, as representative of two populations, since taphonomic conditions and dietary data point to different preservation and food consumption in these latrines that suggest that they were used by different groups or populations (Camacho et al 2018b;Reinhard et al 2019).…”

“…The macro residues were dried at room temperature. After this process, each sample macro residue was stored in individual Whirl-Pak® plastic bags for dietary analyses (Reinhard et al 2019). The micro residues in the beakers were pipetted into 50-ml graduated plastic tubes with screw caps.…”