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Parasitological Study of Long-Dried Fecal Samples1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2018

Robert Samuels
Robert Samuels*
Affiliation:
Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
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Abstract

To rehydrate dried, ancient human fecal specimens an alkaline chelating solution (cold) was used. Identifiable evidence of one animal parasite of man was found — the eggs of Enterobius vermicularis. Rhahditoid nematodes in one specimen and mites in many probably invaded the feces after deposition. If the nematodes were a maize parasite, they might have caused crop loss, if present in large enough numbers. The seriation of mites in specimens from different strata may provide evidence concerning their evolution in the Mesa Verde area.

Type
3 The Natural Sciences
Information
Memoirs of the Society for American Archaeology , Volume 19: Contributions of the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project , October 1965 , pp. 175 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1965 

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Footnotes

1

This is Contribution No. 29 of the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project.

References

Callen, E. O. 1963 Diet as Revealed by Coprolites. In Science in Archaeology, edited by Brothwell, Don and Higgs, Eric. Thames and Hudson, London.Google Scholar
Callen, E. O. and Cameron, T. W. M. 1960 A Prehistoric Diet Revealed in Coprolites. The New Scientist, Vol. 8, No. 190, pp. 35–37, 39-40. London.Google Scholar
Van Cleave, H. J. and Ross, J. A. 1947 A Method of Reclaiming Dried Zoological Specimens. Science, Vol. 105, p. 318. Washington.Google Scholar