Pseudoscorpions of the family Cheiridiidae (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) recovered from burial sediments at Pachacamac (500–1,500CE), Peru

Authors

Johnica J. Morrow, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Livia Taylor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lauren Peck, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Christian Elowsky, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Lawrence Stewart Owens, University of LondonFollow
Peter Eeckout, Université Libre de BruxellesFollow
Karl Reinhard, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

2017. Journal of Arachnology 45:370–375

Comments

Copyright by the authors. Published by American Arachnological Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

Fragmented remains of pseudoscorpions belonging to the family Cheiridiidae (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) were recovered from Ychsma polity (c. AD 1000–1475) burial sediments from Pachacamac, Peru. Sediments from 21 burials were examined following rehydration in 0.5% trisodium phosphate for 48 h and subsequent screening through a 250 lm mesh. Materials larger than 250 lm were surveyed for the presence of arthropods. A total of two samples contained pseudoscorpion fragments, which were collected and quantified to determine the minimal number of pseudoscorpions present per gram of each sample. Following quantification, pseudoscorpion specimens were imaged utilizing confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to assist with identification efforts. Specimens have morphological characteristics consistent with those found in members of the pseudoscorpion family Cheiridiidae. Members of this family have not been previously described from archaeological materials recovered from Peru, and the implications of pseudoscorpions as members of the archaeological corpocenosis have not been fully interpreted. Herein, we report the first recovery of pseudoscorpions from archaeological materials at Pachacamac, and discuss the significance of their roles in the archaeological corpocenosis.