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Luis JV, Andréeacute;s VD, Levano KS, Pedro NB, Marco MR, Ruth GDLG, Rony CC, Diana PL, Sharma AK, Samuel D, Pedro o FV, Raul J C, A G, Ruth SS, Heinner G. Analysis of microbiome diversity in coprolites from Caral, Peru. Bioinformation 2022; 18:1159-1165. [PMID: 37701514 PMCID: PMC10492910 DOI: 10.6026/973206300181159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed human coprolites from the Sacred City of Caral, the oldest civilization in America (3000- and 1800-years BC). Our objective was to know the microbial diversity of the Caral Civilization through the use of a mobile ancient laboratory. DNA extraction conducted in a mobile laboratory placed near the collection site to reduce exposure of samples to contaminants and favor a rapid molecular processing. Using 16S rRNA and ITS 1 amplicon sequencing, we have elaborated the first list of the microbiomes of Caral, based on the bacterial and fungal community fingerprints detected in the coprolites recovered in six sectors of that ancient urban center. Among the most abundant sequences were those associated with Firmicutes for bacteria, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota for fungi. Bacillus was the most abundant bacterial genera in all samples analyzed, compromising up to 24.81% of the total bacterial abundance; while Aspergillus (11.43%) was the most abundant genera among fungal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaramillo-Valverde Luis
- ALBIOTEC, Lima, Perú
- INBIOMEDIC Research and Technological Center, Lima, Perú
- Universidad de Huánuco, Huánuco, Perú
| | - Váaacute;squez-Domínguez Andréeacute;s
- ALBIOTEC, Lima, Perú
- INBIOMEDIC Research and Technological Center, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Ciencias Biolóoacute;gicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
| | - Kelly S Levano
- ALBIOTEC, Lima, Perú
- INBIOMEDIC Research and Technological Center, Lima, Perú
| | - Novoa-Bellota Pedro
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura., Lima, Perú
- Escuela Profesional de ArqueologÍa, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
| | | | - Garcia-de-la-Guarda Ruth
- Laboratorio de MicrobiologÍa Molecular y BiotecnologÍa, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
| | | | | | - Ashok K Sharma
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Davison Samuel
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | | | - Cano Raul J
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad para la Salud, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima, Perú; +These authors contributed equally to the article
| | - Gomez A
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Shady-Solis Ruth
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura., Lima, Perú
- Escuela Profesional de ArqueologÍa, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
| | - Guio Heinner
- ALBIOTEC, Lima, Perú
- INBIOMEDIC Research and Technological Center, Lima, Perú
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad para la Salud, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima, Perú; +These authors contributed equally to the article
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Threatened, host-specific affiliates of a red-listed host: Three new species of Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1849 (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea) from the endangered white skate, Rostroraja alba (Lacépède). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 17:114-126. [PMID: 35028287 PMCID: PMC8739874 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The white skate, Rostroraja alba (Lacépède), is listed as an endangered species, the second-highest category before being declared extinct in the wild, in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This species is heavily affected by anthropogenic impacts such as capture induced stress by overfishing and by-catch, habitat degradation and pollution that caused a drastic decline in populations in recent years. As part of a larger study on elasmobranch affiliates in southern Africa, two specimens of R. alba were screened. Three species of the tapeworm genus Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1849 (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea) were discovered. Application of Ghoshroy and Caira's classification system facilitated the differentiation of congeners through a combination of specific morphological characteristics. As a consequence, three species new to science are described herein, namely Acanthobothrium umbungus n. sp., Acanthobothrium usengozinius n. sp., and Acanthobothrium ulondolozus n. sp. In light of these new discoveries from an endangered host, it is apparent to address the conservation status of its affiliate species, that co-evolved with their elasmobranch hosts for millions of years, thereby creating unique and intimate host-parasite interrelationships. Currently, altering environmental conditions caused by anthropogenic pressures have direct impacts on this host-parasite system with increasing risks of extinction. As merely 9% of elasmobranchs in South African waters have been examined for endohelminths and other affiliate taxa, extensive studies on these organisms and their hosts implementing multisource approaches are needed. This will provide a better understanding on the intimate nature of host-parasite systems that may lead to new prospects in conservation science and the preservation of threatened host species, such as R. alba, together with their unique fauna of affiliate species. Three new species of Acanthobothrium were discovered in the endangered white skate, Rostroraja alba, off the coast of South Africa. The three species described (A. umbungus n. sp., A. usengozinius n. sp., and A. ulondolozus n. sp.) display merely a single cestode genus among the hidden diversity of species from elasmobranchs. The current increase in threatened free-living host species results in an even greater loss in affiliate species that remain unknown and scientifically underexplored. Assessing the status and incorporating affiliate species (i.e. cestodes) into novel conservation schemes may contribute to the conservation of threatened host species and marine populations worldwide, which, in turn, will protect affiliate species as vital “key players” for host species and entire ecosystems.
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Cascardo P, Pucu E, Leles D. REVIEW OF PARASITES FOUND IN EXTINCT ANIMALS: WHAT CAN BE REVEALED. J Parasitol 2021; 107:275-283. [PMID: 33844838 DOI: 10.1645/20-30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is inherent to life and observed in all species. Extinct animals have been studied to understand what they looked like, where and how they lived, what they fed on, and the reasons they became extinct. Paleoparasitology helps to clarify these questions based on the study of the parasites and microorganisms that infected those animals, using as a source material coprolites, fossils in rock, tissue, bone, mummy, and amber, analyses of ancient DNA, immunodiagnosis, and microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Cascardo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
| | - Elisa Pucu
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
| | - Daniela Leles
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
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Nodari R, Drancourt M, Barbieri R. Paleomicrobiology of the human digestive tract: A review. Microb Pathog 2021; 157:104972. [PMID: 34029658 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The microbiota is a hot topic of research in medical microbiology, boosted by culturomics and metagenomics, with unanticipated knowledge outputs in physiology and pathology. Knowledge of the microbiota in ancient populations may therefore be of prime interest in understanding factors shaping the coevolution of the microbiota and populations. Studies on ancient human microbiomes can help us understand how the community of microorganisms presents in the oral cavity and the gut was shaped during the evolution of our species and what environmental, social or cultural changes may have changed it. This review cumulates and summarizes the discoveries in the field of the ancient human microbiota, focusing on the remains used as samples and techniques used to handle and analyze them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Nodari
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Michel Drancourt
- Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Rémi Barbieri
- Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; UMR 7268, Anthropologie Bioculturelle, Droit, Ethique et Santé, Aix Marseille Univ., 11 CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France.
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Sazmand A. Paleoparasitology and archaeoparasitology in Iran: A retrospective in differential diagnosis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 32:50-60. [PMID: 33352520 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper reviews paleo- and archaeoparasitology publications to date, from Iran. The primary focus is the importance of differential diagnosis and the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaborations among parasitologists and other specialists. METHODS All relevant articles and theses published in Iran through October 2020 are included and evaluated, with particular emphasis on the diagnostic process. RESULTS Archaeoparasitic studies in Iran have identified a number of parasites that provide insight into the past. Misidentification, however, due to incomplete differential diagnosis, remains an issue, as does incomplete description and problematic images. CONCLUSIONS Identification of paleoparasites to the species level must be supported with accurate morphology and morphometry. Rigorous differential diagnosis is essential. Caution must be exercised when interpreting observations of ova recovered from coprolites. In these instances, precise identification of host animals and aligning parasite ranges with host specificity is critical. The possibility of incidental parasite presence must be evaluated, including non-specificity of parasite tropisms, transport hosting, or contamination. Lastly, differential diagnosis must include consideration of intentional consumption of parasites. Thus, parasitological findings must be placed in geographical, historical, and cultural contexts. SIGNIFICANCE Archaeoparasitological research in Iran has elucidated the presence of faunal and human disease in the past and has, through this reevaluation of the published works, contributed to precise description and diagnosis of ova of roundworms, tapeworms, thorny-headed worms, and recognition of larval stages of tapeworms in recovered remains of mites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Sazmand
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, 6517658978, Hamedan, Iran.
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Barrios-de Pedro S, Osuna A, Buscalioni ÁD. Helminth eggs from early cretaceous faeces. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18747. [PMID: 33127992 PMCID: PMC7599231 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75757-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The exceptional fossil site of Las Hoyas (upper Barremian, Cuenca, Spain) yields abundant small to medium vertebrate coprolites, hindering the search for parasites. We studied the contents of 29 coprolites that were previously classified into distinct morphotypes. Several parasitic eggs were retrieved from two of these coprolites, confirming the second record of digenea trematode eggs and nematode (ascaridid) eggs from an Early Cretaceous locality. The cylindrical coprolite containing anisakid eggs was likely produced by a crocodylomorph as the parasite host, whereas the bump-headed lace coprolite indicates the role of a fish as an intermediary or definitive host of the trematodes and ascaridids. These trace and body fossils show that the Las Hoyas 126-129 Ma lacustrine ecosystem documents the early connection between basal Gonorynchiformes fish and digenetic trematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Barrios-de Pedro
- Unidad de Paleontología and Centro para la Integración en Paleobiología (CIPb), Departamento de Biología, Edificio de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología, Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Ángela D Buscalioni
- Unidad de Paleontología and Centro para la Integración en Paleobiología (CIPb), Departamento de Biología, Edificio de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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Borry M, Cordova B, Perri A, Wibowo M, Prasad Honap T, Ko J, Yu J, Britton K, Girdland-Flink L, Power RC, Stuijts I, Salazar-García DC, Hofman C, Hagan R, Samdapawindé Kagoné T, Meda N, Carabin H, Jacobson D, Reinhard K, Lewis C, Kostic A, Jeong C, Herbig A, Hübner A, Warinner C. CoproID predicts the source of coprolites and paleofeces using microbiome composition and host DNA content. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9001. [PMID: 32337106 PMCID: PMC7169968 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Shotgun metagenomics applied to archaeological feces (paleofeces) can bring new insights into the composition and functions of human and animal gut microbiota from the past. However, paleofeces often undergo physical distortions in archaeological sediments, making their source species difficult to identify on the basis of fecal morphology or microscopic features alone. Here we present a reproducible and scalable pipeline using both host and microbial DNA to infer the host source of fecal material. We apply this pipeline to newly sequenced archaeological specimens and show that we are able to distinguish morphologically similar human and canine paleofeces, as well as non-fecal sediments, from a range of archaeological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Borry
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Bryan Cordova
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Angela Perri
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marsha Wibowo
- Section on Pathophysiology and Molecular Pharmacology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Section on Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tanvi Prasad Honap
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Jada Ko
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of History, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kate Britton
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Linus Girdland-Flink
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Robert C. Power
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | | | - Domingo C. Salazar-García
- Grupo de Investigación en Prehistoria IT-1223-19 (UPV-EHU), IKERBASQUE-Basque Foundation for Science, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Courtney Hofman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Richard Hagan
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | - Helene Carabin
- Département de pathologie et de microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - David Jacobson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Karl Reinhard
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Cecil Lewis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Aleksandar Kostic
- Section on Pathophysiology and Molecular Pharmacology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Section on Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Choongwon Jeong
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Hübner
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Christina Warinner
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
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Mychajliw AM, Rice KA, Tewksbury LR, Southon JR, Lindsey EL. Exceptionally preserved asphaltic coprolites expand the spatiotemporal range of a North American paleoecological proxy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5069. [PMID: 32193515 PMCID: PMC7081288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61996-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As fossilized feces, coprolites represent direct evidence of animal behavior captured in the fossil record. They encapsulate past ecological interactions between a consumer and its prey and, when they contain plant material, can also guide paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Here we describe the first coprolites from the lagerstätte Rancho La Brea (RLB) in Los Angeles, California, which also represent the first confirmed coprolites from an asphaltic (“tar pit”) context globally. Combining multiple lines of evidence, including radiocarbon dating, body size reconstructions, stable isotope analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and sediment analyses, we document hundreds of rodent coprolites found in association with plant material, and tentatively assign them to the woodrat genus Neotoma. Neotoma nests (i.e., middens) and their associated coprolites inform paleoclimatic reconstructions for the arid southwestern US but are not typically preserved in coastal areas due to environmental and physiological characteristics. The serendipitous activity of an asphalt seep preserved coprolites and their original cellulosic material for 50,000 years at RLB, yielding a snapshot of coastal California during Marine Isotope Stage 3. This discovery augments the proxies available at an already critical fossil locality and highlights the potential for more comprehensive paleoenvironmental analyses at other asphaltic localities globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M Mychajliw
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA. .,Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan. .,Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
| | - Karin A Rice
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
| | - Laura R Tewksbury
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
| | - John R Southon
- Department of Earth System Science, UC Irvine, Keck CCAMS Group, Irvine, California, 92697, USA
| | - Emily L Lindsey
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
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Kołodziej‐Sobocińska M, Stojak J, Kondzior E, Ruczyńska I, Wójcik JM. Genetic diversity of two mitochondrial DNA genes inSpirometra erinaceieuropaei(Cestoda: Diphyllobothridae) from Poland. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Stojak
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - Eliza Kondzior
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - Iwona Ruczyńska
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - Jan M. Wójcik
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
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10
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Qvarnström M, Wernström JV, Piechowski R, Tałanda M, Ahlberg PE, Niedźwiedzki G. Beetle-bearing coprolites possibly reveal the diet of a Late Triassic dinosauriform. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181042. [PMID: 31031991 PMCID: PMC6458417 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Diets of extinct animals can be difficult to analyse if no direct evidence, such as gut contents, is preserved in association with body fossils. Inclusions from coprolites (fossil faeces), however, may also reflect the diet of the host animal and become especially informative if the coprolite producer link can be established. Here we describe, based on propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SRμCT), the contents of five morphologically similar coprolites collected from two fossil-bearing intervals from the highly fossiliferous Upper Triassic locality at Krasiejów in Silesia, Poland. Beetle remains, mostly elytra, and unidentified exoskeleton fragments of arthropods are the most conspicuous inclusions found in the coprolites. The abundance of these inclusions suggests that the coprolite producer deliberately targeted beetles and similar small terrestrial invertebrates as prey, but the relatively large size of the coprolites shows that it was not itself a small animal. The best candidate from the body fossil record of the locality is the dinosauriform Silesaurus opolensis Dzik, 2003, which had an anatomy in several ways similar to those of bird-like neotheropod dinosaurs and modern birds. We hypothesize that the beak-like jaws of S. opolensis were used to efficiently peck small insects off the ground, a feeding behaviour analogous to some extant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Qvarnström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joel Vikberg Wernström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rafał Piechowski
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland
- Department of Palaeobiology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Mateusz Tałanda
- Department of Palaeobiology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Per E. Ahlberg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Xavier R, Santos JL, Veríssimo A. Phylogenetic evidence for an ancestral coevolution between a major clade of coccidian parasites and elasmobranch hosts. Syst Parasitol 2018; 95:367-371. [PMID: 29549563 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-018-9790-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cartilaginous fishes are the oldest jawed vertebrates and are also reported to be the hosts of some of the most basal lineages of Cestoda and Aporocotylidae (Digenea) parasites. Recently a phylogenetic analysis of the coccidia (Apicomplexa) infecting marine vertebrates revealed that the lesser spotted dogfish harbours parasite lineages basal to Eimeria Schneider, 1875 and the group formed by Schellackia Reichenow, 1919, Lankesterella Ames, 1923, Caryospora Leger, 1904 and Isospora Schneider, 1881. In the present study we have found additional lineages of coccidian parasites infecting the cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus Mitchill and the blue shark Prionace glauca Linnaeus. These lineages were also found as basal to species from the genera Lankesterella, Schellackia, Caryospora and Isospora infecting higher vertebrates. These results confirm previous phylogenetic assessments and suggest that these parasitic lineages first evolved in basal vertebrate hosts (i.e. Chondrichthyes), and that the more derived lineages infect higher vertebrates (e.g. birds and mammals) conforming to the evolution of their hosts. We hypothesise that elasmobranchs might host further ancestral parasite lineages harbouring unknown links of parasite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Xavier
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Joana L Santos
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Veríssimo
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Route 1208, Greate Road, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA
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Abstract
Planarians are on the rise as a model system for regeneration and stem cell dynamics. Almost in parallel the interest in planarian field biology has declined. Besides representing an independent research discipline in its own right, understanding of the natural habitat is also directly relevant to optimizing culture conditions in the laboratory. Moreover, the current laboratory models are but few of hundreds of planarian species worldwide. Their adaptation to a wide range of ecological niches has resulted in a fascinating diversity of regenerative abilities, body size, reproduction strategies, and life expectancy, to name just a few. With the currently ongoing establishment of large planarian species collections, such phenotypic diversity becomes accessible to comparative mechanistic analysis in the laboratory. Overall, we hope that this chapter inspires an integral view of the planarian model system that not only includes the molecular and cellular processes under investigation but also the evolutionary forces that shaped them in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Vila-Farré
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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13
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Palaeoparasitology and palaeogenetics: review and perspectives for the study of ancient human parasites. Parasitology 2017; 145:656-664. [DOI: 10.1017/s003118201700141x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYWhile some species of parasites can be identified to species level from archaeological remains using microscopy (i.e.Enterobius vermicularis,Clonorchis sinensis), others can only be identified to family or genus level as different species produce eggs with similar morphology (i.e.Tæniasp. andEchinococcussp.). Molecular and immunological approaches offer the possibility to provide more precise determination at the species level. They can also identify taxa when classic parasite markers such as eggs or cysts have been destroyed over time. However, biomolecules can be poorly preserved and modern reference DNA is available only for a limited number of species of parasites, leading to the conclusion that classic microscopic observation should be combined with molecular analyses. Here we present a review of the molecular approaches used over the past two decades to identify human pathogenic helminths (Ascarissp.,Trichurissp.,E. vermicularis,Fasciolasp. etc.) or protists (Giardiasp.,Trypanosomasp.,Leishmaniasp. etc.). We also discuss the prospects for studying the evolution of parasites with genetics and genomics.
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14
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Sources of Materials for Paleomicrobiology. Microbiol Spectr 2017; 4. [PMID: 27726809 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.poh-0016-2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Paleomicrobiology establishes the diagnosis of ancient infectious diseases by studying ancient pathogens. This recent science also analyzes the evolution of these pathogens, virulence, and their adaptation to their habitat and their vectors. The DNA persists a long time after the death of an organism despite the chemical and enzymatic degradation. The possibility of sequencing bacterial, viral, parasitic and archaeal DNA molecules persists over time.Various sources are used for these studies: frozen tissue and particularly human tissue are a exceptional source for the analysis because at very low temperatures, all biological activity is suspended. The coprolites are a source of choice for studying the human microbiome. Other sources, the ancient bones are the most abundant, however, they may contain only small amounts of DNA due to natural leaching. When the use of the tooth is possible, is a particularly interesting source because of its highly mineralized structure, which gives greater persistence than bone. The calcified tartar deposited on teeth is a source of interest for the study of oral microbiome.All these sources are subject to precautions (gloves and masks hat) at the time of sampling to avoid cross contamination and also be listed in the most precise way because they are precious and rare.
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15
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Qvarnström M, Niedźwiedzki G, Tafforeau P, Žigaitė Ž, Ahlberg PE. Synchrotron phase-contrast microtomography of coprolites generates novel palaeobiological data. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2723. [PMID: 28578409 PMCID: PMC5457397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02893-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Coprolites (fossil faeces) reveal clues to ancient trophic relations, and contain inclusions representing organisms that are rarely preserved elsewhere. However, much information is lost by classical techniques of investigation, which cannot find and image the inclusions in an adequate manner. We demonstrate that propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SRμCT) permits high-quality virtual 3D-reconstruction of coprolite inclusions, exemplified by two coprolites from the Upper Triassic locality Krasiejów, Poland; one of the coprolites contains delicate beetle remains, and the other one a partly articulated fish and fragments of bivalves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Qvarnström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paul Tafforeau
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS40200, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - Živil Žigaitė
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per E Ahlberg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
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16
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Perri AR, Heinrich S, Gur-Arieh S, Saunders JJ. Earliest Evidence ofToxocarasp. in a 1.2-Million-Yr-Old Extinct Hyena (Pachycrocuta brevirostris) Coprolite from Northwest Pakistan. J Parasitol 2017; 103:138-141. [DOI: 10.1645/16-71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Angela R. Perri
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Susann Heinrich
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Shira Gur-Arieh
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Jeffrey J. Saunders
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103 Germany
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17
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide some key points for researchers interested in the study of ancient gastrointestinal parasites. These few pages are dedicated to my colleague and friend, Prof. Adauto Araújo (1951-2015), who participated in the writing of this chapter. His huge efforts in paleoparasitology contributed to the development and promotion of the discipline during more than 30 years.
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18
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Abstract
The paleomicrobiology of coprolites, which are fossilized fecal materials, has already yielded data about various organisms, including micro-eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea, thus expanding our comprehension of ancient human dietary habits, gut microbiota, and intestinal and systemic infections. This mini-review briefly describes previous works and summarizes the main techniques used in handling coprolites and the findings obtained about ancient gut microbiota. Past intestinal and systemic infections are outlined.
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19
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Leung TLF. Fossils of parasites: what can the fossil record tell us about the evolution of parasitism? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:410-430. [PMID: 26538112 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are common in many ecosystems, yet because of their nature, they do not fossilise readily and are very rare in the geological record. This makes it challenging to study the evolutionary transition that led to the evolution of parasitism in different taxa. Most studies on the evolution of parasites are based on phylogenies of extant species that were constructed based on morphological and molecular data, but they give us an incomplete picture and offer little information on many important details of parasite-host interactions. The lack of fossil parasites also means we know very little about the roles that parasites played in ecosystems of the past even though it is known that parasites have significant influences on many ecosystems. The goal of this review is to bring attention to known fossils of parasites and parasitism, and provide a conceptual framework for how research on fossil parasites can develop in the future. Despite their rarity, there are some fossil parasites which have been described from different geological eras. These fossils include the free-living stage of parasites, parasites which became fossilised with their hosts, parasite eggs and propagules in coprolites, and traces of pathology inflicted by parasites on the host's body. Judging from the fossil record, while there were some parasite-host relationships which no longer exist in the present day, many parasite taxa which are known from the fossil record seem to have remained relatively unchanged in their general morphology and their patterns of host association over tens or even hundreds of millions of years. It also appears that major evolutionary and ecological transitions throughout the history of life on Earth coincided with the appearance of certain parasite taxa, as the appearance of new host groups also provided new niches for potential parasites. As such, fossil parasites can provide additional data regarding the ecology of their extinct hosts, since many parasites have specific life cycles and transmission modes which reflect certain aspects of the host's ecology. The study of fossil parasites can be conducted using existing techniques in palaeontology and palaeoecology, and microscopic examination of potential material such as coprolites may uncover more fossil evidence of parasitism. However, I also urge caution when interpreting fossils as examples of parasites or parasitism-induced traces. I point out a number of cases where parasitism has been spuriously attributed to some fossil specimens which, upon re-examination, display traits which are just as (if not more) likely to be found in free-living taxa. The study of parasite fossils can provide a more complete picture of the ecosystems and evolution of life throughout Earth's history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy L F Leung
- Department of Zoology Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
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20
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De Baets K, Dentzien-Dias P, Upeniece I, Verneau O, Donoghue PCJ. Constraining the Deep Origin of Parasitic Flatworms and Host-Interactions with Fossil Evidence. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:93-135. [PMID: 26597066 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Novel fossil discoveries have contributed to our understanding of the evolutionary appearance of parasitism in flatworms. Furthermore, genetic analyses with greater coverage have shifted our views on the coevolution of parasitic flatworms and their hosts. The putative record of parasitic flatworms is consistent with extant host associations and so can be used to put constraints on the evolutionary origin of the parasites themselves. The future lies in new molecular clock analyses combined with additional discoveries of exceptionally preserved flatworms associated with hosts and coprolites. Besides direct evidence, the host fossil record and biogeography have the potential to constrain their evolutionary history, albeit with caution needed to avoid circularity, and a need for calibrations to be implemented in the most conservative way. This might result in imprecise, but accurate divergence estimates for the evolution of parasitic flatworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth De Baets
- Fachgruppe PaläoUmwelt, GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Paula Dentzien-Dias
- Núcleo de Oceanografia Geológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Ieva Upeniece
- Department of Geology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Olivier Verneau
- Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France; CNRS, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Perpignan, France; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Philip C J Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Science Building, Bristol, UK
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21
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Mitchell PD. Human Parasites in Medieval Europe: Lifestyle, Sanitation and Medical Treatment. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:389-420. [PMID: 26597073 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites have been infecting humans throughout our evolution. However, not all people suffered with the same species or to the same intensity throughout this time. Our changing way of life has altered the suitability of humans to infection by each type of parasite. This analysis focuses upon the evidence for parasites from archaeological excavations at medieval sites across Europe. Comparison between the patterns of infection in the medieval period allows us to see how changes in sanitation, herding animals, growing and fertilizing crops, the fishing industry, food preparation and migration all affected human susceptibility to different parasites. We go on to explore how ectoparasites may have spread infectious bacterial diseases, and also consider what medieval medical practitioners thought of parasites and how they tried to treat them. While modern research has shown the use of a toilet decreases the risk of contracting certain intestinal parasites, the evidence for past societies presented here suggests that the invention of latrines had no observable beneficial effects upon intestinal health. This may be because toilets were not sufficiently ubiquitous until the last century, or that the use of fresh human faeces for manuring crops still ensured those parasite species were easily able to reinfect the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piers D Mitchell
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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22
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Abstract
Parasite finds in ancient material launched a new field of science: palaeoparasitology. Ever since the pioneering studies, parasites were identified in archaeological and palaeontological remains, some preserved for millions of years by fossilization. However, the palaeoparasitological record consists mainly of parasites found specifically in human archaeological material, preserved in ancient occupation sites, from prehistory until closer to 2015. The results include some helminth intestinal parasites still commonly found in 2015, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms, besides others such as Amoebidae and Giardia intestinalis, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi and arthropods. These parasites as a whole provide important data on health, diet, climate and living conditions among ancient populations. This chapter describes the principal findings and their importance for knowledge on the origin and dispersal of infectious diseases.
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23
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Laumer CE, Hejnol A, Giribet G. Nuclear genomic signals of the 'microturbellarian' roots of platyhelminth evolutionary innovation. eLife 2015; 4:e05503. [PMID: 25764302 PMCID: PMC4398949 DOI: 10.7554/elife.05503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Flatworms number among the most diverse invertebrate phyla and represent the most biomedically significant branch of the major bilaterian clade Spiralia, but to date, deep evolutionary relationships within this group have been studied using only a single locus (the rRNA operon), leaving the origins of many key clades unclear. In this study, using a survey of genomes and transcriptomes representing all free-living flatworm orders, we provide resolution of platyhelminth interrelationships based on hundreds of nuclear protein-coding genes, exploring phylogenetic signal through concatenation as well as recently developed consensus approaches. These analyses robustly support a modern hypothesis of flatworm phylogeny, one which emphasizes the primacy of the often-overlooked 'microturbellarian' groups in understanding the major evolutionary transitions within Platyhelminthes: perhaps most notably, we propose a novel scenario for the interrelationships between free-living and vertebrate-parasitic flatworms, providing new opportunities to shed light on the origins and biological consequences of parasitism in these iconic invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Laumer
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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24
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Warinner C, Speller C, Collins MJ, Lewis CM. Ancient human microbiomes. J Hum Evol 2015; 79:125-36. [PMID: 25559298 PMCID: PMC4312737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Very recently, we discovered a vast new microbial self: the human microbiome. Our native microbiota interface with our biology and culture to influence our health, behavior, and quality of life, and yet we know very little about their origin, evolution, or ecology. With the advent of industrialization, globalization, and modern sanitation, it is intuitive that we have changed our relationship with microbes, but we have little information about the ancestral state of our microbiome, and we therefore lack a foundation for characterizing this change. High-throughput sequencing has opened up new opportunities in the field of paleomicrobiology, allowing us to investigate the evolution of the complex microbial ecologies that inhabit our bodies. By focusing on recent coprolite and dental calculus research, we explore how emerging research on ancient human microbiomes is changing the way we think about ancient disease and how archaeological studies can contribute to a medical understanding of health and nutrition today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Warinner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Blvd., Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Camilla Speller
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Matthew J Collins
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Cecil M Lewis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Blvd., Norman, OK 73019, USA.
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25
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De Baets K, Littlewood DTJ. The Importance of Fossils in Understanding the Evolution of Parasites and Their Vectors. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:1-51. [PMID: 26597064 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge concerning the diversity of parasitism and its reach across our current understanding of the tree of life has benefitted considerably from novel molecular phylogenetic methods. However, the timing of events and the resolution of the nature of the intimate relationships between parasites and their hosts in deep time remain problematic. Despite its vagaries, the fossil record provides the only direct evidence of parasites and parasitism in the fossil record of extant and extinct lineages. Here, we demonstrate the potential of the fossil record and other lines of geological evidence to calibrate the origin and evolution of parasitism by combining different kinds of dating evidence with novel molecular clock methodologies. Other novel methods promise to provide additional evidence for the presence or the life habit of pathogens and their vectors, including the discovery and analysis of ancient DNA and other biomolecules, as well as computed tomographic methods.
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26
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27
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Huntley JW, De Baets K. Trace Fossil Evidence of Trematode-Bivalve Parasite-Host Interactions in Deep Time. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:201-31. [PMID: 26597068 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasitism is one of the most pervasive phenomena amongst modern eukaryotic life and yet, relative to other biotic interactions, almost nothing is known about its history in deep time. Digenean trematodes (Platyhelminthes) are complex life cycle parasites, which have practically no body fossil record, but induce the growth of characteristic malformations in the shells of their bivalve hosts. These malformations are readily preserved in the fossil record, but, until recently, have largely been overlooked by students of the fossil record. In this review, we present the various malformations induced by trematodes in bivalves, evaluate their distribution through deep time in the phylogenetic and ecological contexts of their bivalve hosts and explore how various taphonomic processes have likely biased our understanding of trematodes in deep time. Trematodes are known to negatively affect their bivalve hosts in a number of ways including castration, modifying growth rates, causing immobilization and, in some cases, altering host behaviour making the host more susceptible to their own predators. Digeneans are expected to be significant agents of natural selection. To that end, we discuss how bivalves may have adapted to their parasites via heterochrony and suggest a practical methodology for testing such hypotheses in deep time.
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28
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Sianto L, de Souza MV, Chame M, da Luz MDF, Guidon N, Pessis AM, Araújo A. Helminths in feline coprolites up to 9000 years in the Brazilian Northeast. Parasitol Int 2014; 63:851-7. [PMID: 25124856 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The identification of parasites in animal coprolites has been an important tool to promote knowledge about parasites infecting different zoological groups in the past. It also helps the understanding of parasites causing zoonoses, which is especially important for animals that were part of the diet of prehistoric human groups. Nevertheless, the study of feline coprolites is still scarce. This study analyzed 30 feline coprolites from southeastern Piauí taken from archeological sites used by human groups in the past. Eggs of Spirometra sp., Toxocara cati, Spirurida, Oxyuroidea Calodium cf. hepaticum, Trichuris cf. muris, Trichuris sp., and other Trichuridae, Oncicola sp., and nematode larvae were found. Some of these findings reflect the consumption of infected prey. The role of felines in the transmission of helminthes causing zoonoses in the region is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Sianto
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Mônica Vieira de Souza
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Marcia Chame
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Maria de Fátima da Luz
- Fundação Museu do Homem Americano-Fumdham, Centro Cultural Sérgio Mota-Museu, 64770-000 São Raimundo Nonato, PI, Brazil.
| | - Niéde Guidon
- Fundação Museu do Homem Americano-Fumdham, Centro Cultural Sérgio Mota-Museu, 64770-000 São Raimundo Nonato, PI, Brazil.
| | - Anne-Marie Pessis
- Fundação Museu do Homem Americano-Fumdham, Centro Cultural Sérgio Mota-Museu, 64770-000 São Raimundo Nonato, PI, Brazil.
| | - Adauto Araújo
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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29
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Eme L, Sharpe SC, Brown MW, Roger AJ. On the age of eukaryotes: evaluating evidence from fossils and molecular clocks. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2014; 6:6/8/a016139. [PMID: 25085908 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among eukaryotic lineages has improved dramatically over the few past decades thanks to the development of sophisticated phylogenetic methods and models of evolution, in combination with the increasing availability of sequence data for a variety of eukaryotic lineages. Concurrently, efforts have been made to infer the age of major evolutionary events along the tree of eukaryotes using fossil-calibrated molecular clock-based methods. Here, we review the progress and pitfalls in estimating the age of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) and major lineages. After reviewing previous attempts to date deep eukaryote divergences, we present the results of a Bayesian relaxed-molecular clock analysis of a large dataset (159 proteins, 85 taxa) using 19 fossil calibrations. We show that for major eukaryote groups estimated dates of divergence, as well as their credible intervals, are heavily influenced by the relaxed molecular clock models and methods used, and by the nature and treatment of fossil calibrations. Whereas the estimated age of LECA varied widely, ranging from 1007 (943-1102) Ma to 1898 (1655-2094) Ma, all analyses suggested that the eukaryotic supergroups subsequently diverged rapidly (i.e., within 300 Ma of LECA). The extreme variability of these and previously published analyses preclude definitive conclusions regarding the age of major eukaryote clades at this time. As more reliable fossil data on eukaryotes from the Proterozoic become available and improvements are made in relaxed molecular clock modeling, we may be able to date the age of extant eukaryotes more precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Eme
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Susan C Sharpe
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Matthew W Brown
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andrew J Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
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30
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Evolutionary History of Terrestrial Pathogens and Endoparasites as Revealed in Fossils and Subfossils. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1155/2014/181353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The present work uses fossils and subfossils to decipher the origin and evolution of terrestrial pathogens and endoparasites. Fossils, as interpreted by morphology or specific features of their hosts, furnish minimum dates for the origin of infectious agents, coevolution with hosts, and geographical locations. Subfossils, those that can be C14 dated (roughly under 50,000 years) and are identified by morphology as well as molecular and immunological techniques, provide time periods when humans became infected with various diseases. The pathogen groups surveyed include viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and select multicellular endoparasites including nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, and insect parasitoids in the terrestrial environment.
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