Camelid Gastrointestinal Parasites from the Archaeological Site of Huanchaquito (Peru): First Results

Abstract

Palaeoparasitological investigation was conducted on a first set of samples from 13 sacrificed domestic camelids recovered from the pre-Hispanic Chimú culture site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, Peru. The aim was to establish the animals' gastrointestinal parasite diversity and enlighten on their health status at the time of their death. To this end, 20 samples of coprolites and intestinal contents were analysed to check for the presence of parasite markers, i.e. preserved eggs and oocysts. Microscopic examinations revealed the presence of five taxa of helminths and protozoans in a majority of the tested animals (61%). Our analysis revealed the presence in some animals of protozoan oocysts belonging to the species Eimeria macusaniensis (phylum Apicomplexa). Our study is the first report of the possible presence of a parasite egg attributed to the order Plagiorchiida (family Fasciolidae) in ancient camelids. This preliminary study shows that there is interesting potential for conducting palaeoparasitological analysis at the site and that such analysis is promising for answering questions about the health status of the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas camelids.

Paleoparasitological study of Holocene South American camelids (ca. 8970–470 years 14C BP) from an archaeological site, Southern Puna of Argentina (Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca)

“…These reports indicate the presence of this species since the early Holocene until the present in Patagonia Argentina. Its presence was also reported in human coprolites related to camelid consumption from northern Chile dated to Pre-Inca Hispanic Contact Period (de Souza et al, 2018) and from coprolites and intestinal contents of SAC from the archaeological site of Huanchaquito (Perú) (Le Bailly et al, 2020).…”

Ancient parasites from a peat bog: New insights into animal presence and husbandry in Crete over the past 2000 years

“…This morphotype is the most abundant in our study, and was observed in 11 out of 22 samples for 21 out of 58 remains. Interestingly, this unknown morphotype has already been observed in Neolithic sites in Europe, and more recently described in domestic camelids from pre-Hispanic Peru (Le Bailly et al., 2019). All these observations strongly suggest that this taxon parasitizes herbivorous hosts.…”

Were human-introduced diseases the responsible for Pleistocene-Holocene megafaunal extinctions? First evidence from South America

“…Further, Le Bailly et al (2020) described eggs belonging to an indeterminate Fasciola species from camelids at a pre-Hispanic Chimú culture site (around cal. AD 1400–1450) known as the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, Perú (Figure 2).…”

“…This is also sustained by the presence of a Fasciola in camelids from sites around cal. AD 1400–1450 in Perú (Le Bailly et al, 2020).…”