The History of Evolution of Life on Earth Told by Paleoparasitology - Juniper Publishers

The History of Evolution of Life on Earth Told by Paleoparasitology

Authored by Daniela Leles

Through the study of parasites and other microorganisms in ancient material Paleoparasitology can presuppose on the way of life of our ancestors, established relations with and between animals and the environment, and their reflexes until the contemporary period dealing with several areas of knowledge. Therefore, it has been possible to recover intestinal parasites from coprolites of Cinodontes and Dicionodontes dating to 240mya, a group with important evolutionary aspects for the origin of mammals. The finding of primitive forms of Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma spp., and Leishmania spp. in amber dating back thousands of years has shed light on discussions about the origin and evolution of parasite species that affect humans today. The study of lice DNA helped to discover when clothing emerged in mankind, and that was an important point for the conquest of the icy continents. The discovery of "geohemints” in coprolites of the Americas pre-Columbian period reaffirmed that the first Amerindians also arrived by the sea, and not exclusively by the Bering Strait. It showed the influence of diseases on the fall of emperors and wars such as the possible death of "Pharaoh Tutankhamun” from malaria, battles of the "Great Crusades” may have been lost due to chronic diarrhea caused by intestinal protozoa, or death of Napoleon soldiers by the trench fever. Thus Paleoparasitology helps to tell the story of life on earth using parasites as a clue.

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