Life Sciences Commons^™

Discovery Of A 240 Million Year Old Nematode Parasite Egg In A Cynodont Coprolite Sheds Light On The Early Origin Of Pinworms In Vertebrates, Jean-Pierre Hugot, Scott Gardner, Victor Borba, Priscilla Araujo, Daniela Leles, Átila Da-Rosa, Juliana Dutra, Luis Fernando Ferreira, Adauto Araújo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: We report the discovery of a nematode parasite egg (Nemata: Oxyurida) from a coprolite closely associated with the remains of several species of Cynodontia, dated to 240 million years old. This finding is particularly significant because this is the oldest record of an oxyurid nematode yet discovered, and because the cynodonts are considered a stem-group of the mammals.

Methods: We extracted material from a fully mineralized coprolite by both scraping the surface, and removing fragments from its interior with clean dental instruments used a single time. A single drop of glycerol from a new vial was added as a …

Parasites As Probes For Prehistoric Human Migrations?, Adauto Araújo, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira, Scott Lyell Gardner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Host-specific parasites of humans are used to track ancient migrations. Based on archaeoparasitology, it is clear that humans entered the New World at least twice in ancient times. The archaeoparasitology of some intestinal parasites in the New World points to migration routes other than the Bering Land Bridge. Helminths have been found in mummies and coprolites in North and South America. Hookworms (Necator and Ancylostoma), whipworms (Trichuris trichiura) and other helminths require specific conditions for life-cycle completion. They could not survive in the cold climate of the northern region of the Americas. Therefore, humans would have …

Increasing Interest In Parasitology At The Past Three International Mammalogical Congresses Held In 1997, 2001 And 2005: Mammals, Parasites, Zoonoses And Biodiversity, Scott Lyell Gardner, Mitsuhiko Asakawa, Luis A. Ruedas, Kenichi Takahashi

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

We summarized the data from the past three TTC (now IMC) meetings to examine the potential trends in presentation of parasites of mammals at the meeting. The lists include titles and authors of papers given in symposia, poster sessions, and oral presentations related to diseases, zoonoses, parasites, and causative agents of diseases of sylvatic mammals. Our analysis shows that there has been an increase in the number of papers (from 2.8% in 1997 to 5.1% in 2005) presented at the International Mammalogical Meetings. We also show that there are potentially more than 27,000 species of parasites (broadly defined) currently inhabiting …

Worms, Nematoda, Scott Lyell Gardner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Nematodes are the most speciose phylum of metazoa on earth. Not only do they occur in huge numbers as parasites of all known animal groups, but also they are found in the soils, as parasites of plants, and in large numbers in the most extreme environments, from the Antarctic dry valleys to the benthos of the ocean. They are extremely variable in their morphological characteristics, with each group showing morphological adapta­tions to the environment that they inhabit. Soil-dwelling forms are extremely small; many marine species have long and complex setae; and parasitic species man­ifest amazingly great reproductive potential and large …

Evolution Of The Schistosomes (Digenea: Schistosomatoidea): The Origin Of Dioecy And Colonization Of The Venous System, Thomas R. Platt, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae are considered venous system specialists whose sister group is the vascular system generalists (Spirorchidae) of turtles. Colonization of homeotherms by vascular trematodes required precision egg laying near the conduit for egg passage to the external environment and avoidance of pathogenesis that might result in the premature death of the host. Evolution of dioecy from the hermaphroditic condition may have proceeded through androdioecy in which hermaphrodites were specialized for precision egg placement in the vascular system and larger adults became functional males. The evolution of nuclear genes suppressing female function along with cytoplasmic genes suppressing male …

Critical Comments: Parasitology Year 2000, Albert O. Bush, Janine N. Caira, Dennis J. Minchella, Steven A. Nadler, John R. Seed

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

We predict that in order for parasitology to thrive by the year 2000 the various subdisciplines of evolution, ecology, biosystematics, and genetics must develop holistic approaches and use parasite models to answer basic biological questions. The students of tomorrow must work as part of a multidisciplinary team; and their questions and answers must be conceptually integrated into the broader biological framework of evolution and ecology.

Phylogenetic Systematic Analysis Of The Trichostrongylidae (Nematoda), With An Initial Assessment Of Coevolution And Biogeography, Eric P. Hoberg, J. Ralph Lichtenfels

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Phylogenetic analysis of the subfamilies of the Trichostrongylidae based on 22 morphological transformation series produced a single cladogram with a consistency index (CI) = 74.2%. Monophyly for the family was supported by the structure of the female tail and copulatory bursa. Two major clades are recognized: the Cooperiinae clade with the basal Cooperiinae and Libyostrongylinae + Trichostrongylinae, and the Graphidiinae clade with the basal Graphidiinae and Ostertagiinae + Haemonchinae. Dendrograms presented by Durette- Desset (1985) (CI = 56.1%) and Lichtenfels (1987), based on the key to the Trichostrongylidae by Gibbons and Khalil (1982) (CI = 59.0%), were found to be …

Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Insectivores. Iii. Seven New Species In Shrews (Soricidae: Soricinae) From Canada, Japan, And The United States, Lynn Ann Hertel, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Since May 1979, 458 shrews (Blarina sp. and Sorex spp.) representing 20 species collected in Canada, Japan, and the United States were examined for coccidia; 110 (24%) had oocysts in their feces, including 8 of 21 (38%) B. brevicauda from Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Vermont; 2 of 7 (29%) S. caecutiens from Hokkaido and Honshu; 14 of 63 (22%) S. cinereus from Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Manitoba, and Ontario; 3 of 7 (43%) S. fontinalis from Pennsylvania; 11 of 16 (69%) S. fumeus from Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Ontario; 1 of 4 (25%) S. haydeni from Minnesota; …

Biochemical And Immunological Systematics Of Some Ascaridoid Nematodes: Genetic Divergence Between Congeners, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Vertical starch gel electrophoresis and trefoil immunodiffusion were used to study the systematics of some ascaridoid nematodes. Within the Ascarididae, the time scale of divergence was too great for intergeneric electrophoretic comparisons. Congeneric electrophoretic comparisons of Baylisascaris procyonis (host- raccoon) versus Baylisascaris transfuga (host- Black bear), and Toxocara canis (host- domestic dog) versus Toxocara cati (host- domestic cat) yielded Nei genetic distance coefficients of 1.21 and 1.55, respectively. Estimates of times of divergence made from 1 electrophoretic clock calibration suggest that the Baylisascaris species have not shared a common ancestor for 25 million years (Myr), and that the Toxocara species …

Phylogenetics And The Future Of Helminth Systematics, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Phylogenetic systematics is a relatively new formal technique that increases the precision with which one can make direct estimates of the history of phylogenetic descent. These estimates are made in the form of phylogenetic trees, or cladograms. Cladograms may be converted directly into classifications or they may be used to test various hypotheses about the evolutionary process. More than 20 phylogenetic analyses of helminth groups have been published already, and these have been used to investigate evolutionary questions in developmental biology, biogeography, speciation, coevolution, and evolutionary ecology.

Presidential Address: Parasitology: Retrospect And Prospect, Robert L. Rausch, Gerald D. Schmidt

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Transcript of the presidential address given by Dr. Robert L. Rausch, of the University of Washington, at the 59th Annual Meeting, American Society of Parasitologists, August 9, 1984, in Snowbird, Utah, with a transcript of introductory remarks given by Dr. Gerald D. Schmidt, of the University of Northern Colorado.

Review Of Phylogenetics: The Theory And Practice Of Phylogenetic Systematics, By E. O. Wiley (Wiley-Interscience, 1981; 439 P.), Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

A book review by Daniel R. Brooks of Phylogenetics: The Theory and Practice of Phylogenetic Systematics, by E. O. Wiley (Wiley-Interscience, 1981; 439 p.).