Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of
Date of this Version
2-1-2008
Abstract
Ticks have never been reported in archaeological analyses. Here, we present the discovery of a tick from a coprolite excavated from Antelope Cave in extreme northwest Arizona. Dietary analysis indicates that the coprolite has a human origin. This archaeological occupation is associated with the Ancestral Pueblo culture (Anasazi). This discovery supports previous hypotheses that ticks were a potential source of disease and that ectoparasites were eaten by ancient people.
Comments
Published in the Journal of Parasitology, vol. 94, no. 1 (2008): 296-298. Copyright 2008, American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.