The Geological Record of Parasitic Nematode Evolution

An absence of ancient archaeological and palaeontological evidence of pneumonia contrasts with its recognition in the more recent archaeological record. We document an apparent infection-mediated periosteal reaction affecting the dorsal ribs in a Middle Triassic eosauropterygian historically referred to as ‘Proneusticosaurus’ silesiacus. High-resolution X-ray microtomography and histological studies of the pathologically altered ribs revealed the presence of a continuous solid periosteal reaction with multiple superficial blebs (protrusions) on the visceral surfaces of several ribs. Increased vascularization and uneven lines of arrested growth document that the pathology was the result of a multi-seasonal disease. While visceral surface localization of this periosteal reaction represents the earliest identified evidence for pneumonia, the blebs may have an additional implication: they have only been previously recognized in humans with tuberculosis (TB). Along with this diagnosis is the presence of focal vertebral erosions, parsimoniously compared to vertebral manifestation of TB in humans.

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“…Fossilization of actual microorganisms is exceptionally rare (e.g. Yersinia strains have been found in Eocene flea) [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuberculosis-like respiratory infection in 245-million-year-old marine reptile suggested by bone pathologies

et al. 2018

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“…It is possible that this group of parasites, as well as other nematode parasites, emerged during the Cambrian/Ordovician period (Poinar, 2015). However, Ascaridoidea eggs had heretofore been described only in coprolites from the Triassic period (Silva et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The first record of Ascaridoidea eggs discovered in Crocodyliformes hosts from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil

Cardia

Bertini

Camossi

et al. 2018

Rev. bras. paleontol

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A paleoparasitological investigation was carried out on Crocodyliformes coprolites discovered in the Municipality of Santo Anastácio, in the southwestern region of the State of São Paulo. Individual samples were extracted from the surface and internal portion of each coprolite which revealed the presence of thick-shelled parasite eggs in three of them. The morphological characteristics of the specimens, i.e., rounded or oval shape, thick-shelled with mammillated surface, as well as their size, suggest that these eggs belong to the superfamily Ascaridoidea, which are gastrointestinal parasite nematodes of vertebrates, popularly known as "roundworms". This is the first record of Ascaridoidea eggs discovered in Crocodyliformes hosts from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil.

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“…Evidence of infection with micro-and macroparasites in extinct mammals and other vertebrates, although scarce, is available (Hugot et al 2014, De Baets & Littlewood 2015, Poinar 2015. The scarcity of evidence is in part the result of the low chances of fossilization of the habitat of parasites; after all, most microparasites are systemic tissue-dwelling unicellular organisms (i.e., they infect cells), thus they would replicate inside soft tissues that decay after death.…”

Section: );mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence of a parasitic lifestyle in forms from ancient geological areas is scarce; yet, the scientific community recognizes that extinct animal forms would have been infected by parasites (Hugot et al 2014, De Baets & Littlewood 2015, Poinar 2015 by paleontologists, some of whom invoked the putative role of pathogens in the extinction of the endemic megafauna of South America (Ferigolo 1999). In a series of at least 5 conjugations of Biotic Systems (expansions, contraction and switches of pathogens and their hosts) and Turning Points (abiotic crises or episodic events that affected the fauna) spanning from the early Oligocene to the Holocene, Ferigolo (1999) hypothesizes that the change in faunas may have exposed dispersing animals to different pathogens.…”

Section: Parasites In Geological Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aust., 21(1): 1-16, 2017 the current distribution of species, b) rates of species extinction, c) establishment and dispersion of invasive species, and d) exchange or transfer of pathogens among the faunal elements involved (Ricklefs & Outlaw 2010, De Baets & Littlewood 2015, Poinar 2015. Information derived from these phenomena may help in better understanding the consequences of the establishment and rapid dispersion of ecological invaders, which in the present time may result in the spread of novel emerging diseases that threaten wildlife and the human population (Brooks et al 2014.…”

Section: );mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nematodes Associated With Mammals in the Great American Biotic Interchange (Gabi)

Jiménez¹,

Notarnicola²,

Gardner³

2017

Oecol. Austr.

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The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) is a large-scale zoogeographic event that illustrates the exchange and diversification of mammals between North and South America. This phenomenon was accelerated by the connection of both landmasses during the Pliocene. Support for this phenomenon includes the extant distribution of xenarthrans, didelphiomorph marsupials, hystricognath and cricetine rodents, sciurids and carnivores, as well as the distribution of fossils in the stratigraphic record and the coalescence of genotypes. Contrasting with the relatively well-documented role and history of mammals in GABI, the role of their parasites has been largely neglected. As a consequence, the reconstructions of the causes of diversification, extinction and dispersion of groups of mammals during the Pliocene (and Miocene) invoke changes in climate patterns and the role of competitors or predators, yet in most cases the lines of evidence are not direct. We posit that infections with parasites offer a direct form of evidence of the role of interactions among species, by considering that the successful establishment of species of parasites in new groups of vertebrates will result in a net effect on their adaptive immune system. Thus, the current distribution of nematode parasites of the families Aspidoderidae, Nippostrongylidae, Onchocercidae, Oxyuridae, Rictaluriidae and Viannaidae offers evidence that the historical associations of these nematodes and their hosts diverge from the expected cospeciation and codivergence. Thus, clades of parasites infect disparate clades of mammals and, by deviating from the expected cospeciation, represent a paradox. This paradox deters investigators from studying historical associations among symbionts, since researchers lose the compelling simplicity of testing coevolutionary associations through the congruence of their resulting phylogenies. However, the reconstruction of historical associations must acknowledge the differential survival of parasites in novel hosts. This consideration is part of the Stockholm Paradigm, which includes the hypotheses known as Ecological Fitting, Oscillations, Taxon Pulses and Mosaics of Geographic Coevolution. We introduce nine host-parasite systems that provide insights on the role of parasites in GABI. We posit that the conservatism of parasite resource use, heritability of the adaptive immune system, and the genetic structure of parasites make it possible to elucidate the role of these parasites in GABI.

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The Geological Record of Parasitic Nematode Evolution

Cited by 38 publications

References 63 publications

Tuberculosis-like respiratory infection in 245-million-year-old marine reptile suggested by bone pathologies

Tuberculosis-like respiratory infection in 245-million-year-old marine reptile suggested by bone pathologies

The first record of Ascaridoidea eggs discovered in Crocodyliformes hosts from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil

Nematodes Associated With Mammals in the Great American Biotic Interchange (Gabi)

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