First palaeoparasitological record of a dioctophymatid egg in an archaeological sample from Patagonia

The collection of parasitological information from ancient material requires an exhaustive study of samples. In 2005, cestode and nematode eggs were found in a coprolite sample tentatively assigned to a canid. The sample was obtained from the layer of the archaeological site located in Cerro Casa de Piedra, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, and dated from 6540 ± 110 years before present. The aim of the present work was to reexamine this fixed sample in order to confirm the presence of these parasites. The palaeoparasitological results support our previous findings. Interestingly, another parasite was also confirmed: a dioctophymatid nematode. Dioctophyma renale has been reported in several modern carnivores in the Southern Hemisphere but in ancient materials, it has only been reported in human coprolites from Switzerland. This report constitutes the first evidence of the presence of a dioctophymatid nematode parasite dioctophymatid nematode in American pre-Columbian times. The results obtained in this work show the importance of revising earlier palaeoparasitological results.     

Characterization of Mixed Pellets Made from Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Waste as Pellet Fuel

The objective of this study was to investigate the production and properties of mixed pellets made from rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) waste with no added binder. Three different conditions of mixed pellets were developed to compare their chemical and physical properties to rubberwood pellets. The produced samples were subjected to both ultimate and proximate analyses. The contents of C, H, N, S, and Cl significantly increased with the increasing amount of refuse-derived fuel in the samples, resulting in reduction of the volatile matter. The mechanical durability of the pellet samples ranged between an average value of 98 and 99%. Mixed pellets containing 50% of rubberwood and 50% of refuse-derived fuel have improved heating values by 22.21% compared to rubberwood pellets. Moreover, mixed pellets having 50% of wood and 50% of refuse-derived fuel had the highest density and the highest energy compared to the other samples. Based on the findings of this study, it appears that the manufactured mixed pellets have the potential to be used as high-energy fuel.     

First record of Longidorus intermedius Kozlowska and Seinhorst, 1979 (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from the Czech Republic

Summary Longidorus intermedius Kozlowska and Seinhorst, 1979 was recorded in the Czech Republic for the first time in the rhizosphere of Robinia pseudoacacia at Dolní Bojanovice and Carpinus betulus — Euonymus europaeus — Quercus sp. at Strážovice. The morphological and morphometrical characteristics are studied.     

First study of Seoul virus (SEOV) in urban rodents from newly urbanized areas of Gran La Plata,Argentina

Alterations of ecosystems have deep effects on the distribution of parasites. Big cities of Argentina present structural features that favor the presence of synanthropic species, acting as source of zoonotic diseases, for example in urban rodents: the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the black rat (R. rattus). One of the important zoonotic pathogens related are the RNA virus Hantavirus, with high prevalence rates in South America. The aim of this study was to explore and identify the presence of Hantavirus in urban rodents from Gran La Plata, Argentina. The presence of anti-hantavirus IgG antibodies was determined by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Six samples turned out positive for Seoul virus (SEOV, p = 14.3%). These are the first records of SEOV in urban rodents in Gran La Plata. It represents the first report in R. rattus in Argentina, and in America. This situation underscores the inequality and historical forgetfulness of a portion of society, calling for urgent action to be taken in this regard.     

First record of Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) in Slovenia

Summary  In October 2007 we examined 80 soil samples from 16 different locations in the central part of Slovenia (the Notranjska region) and confirmed the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes only in two soil samples. This represents the first recorded instance of an entomopathogenic nematode in Slovenia. In sample B30 we confirmed the presence of Steinernema feltiae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) by means of a molecular technique. In Slovenia the application of entomopathogenic nematodes was hitherto possible only in laboratory experiments, while the Rules on Biological Plant Protection made the practical application of exotic organisms in the domestic environment entirely impossible. After the first record of the entomopathogenic nematode S. feltiae we expect the aformentioned agent to become an important alternative to insecticides in plant protection against pest insects.     

First record of species Dicranotaenia synsacculata Macko, 1988 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) of the goldeneye Bucephala clangula (Linneus, 1758) in Poland

During parasitological studies of 32 specimens of the goldeneye Bucephala clangula L., twenty seven cestode specimens were found. Four of them, isolated from the jejunum of two young female hosts, were determinated as Dicranotaenia synsacculata Macko, 1988. We based on the shape of cirrus fused with sacculus accessorius internus, shape and size of scolex and other organs. This is the first record of this species in Poland.     

Age constraints on the dispersal of dinosaurs in the Late Triassic from magnetochronology of the Los Colorados Formation (Argentina)

A measured magnetozone sequence defined by 24 sampling sites with normal polarity and 28 sites with reverse polarity characteristic magnetizations was established for the heretofore poorly age-constrained Los Colorados Formation and its dinosaur-bearing vertebrate fauna in the Ischigualasto–Villa Union continental rift basin of Argentina. The polarity pattern in this ∼600-m-thick red-bed section can be correlated to Chrons E7r to E15n of the Newark astrochronological polarity time scale. This represents a time interval from 227 to 213 Ma, indicating that the Los Colorados Formation is predominantly Norian in age, ending more than 11 My before the onset of the Jurassic. The magnetochronology confirms that the underlying Ischigualasto Formation and its vertebrate assemblages including some of the earliest known dinosaurs are of Carnian age. The oldest dated occurrences of vertebrate assemblages with dinosaurs in North America (Chinle Formation) are younger (Norian), and thus the rise of dinosaurs was diachronous across the Americas. Paleogeography of the Ischigualasto and Los Colorados Formations indicates prolonged residence in the austral temperate humid belt where a provincial vertebrate fauna with early dinosaurs may have incubated. Faunal dispersal across the Pangean supercontinent in the development of more cosmopolitan vertebrate assemblages later in the Norian may have been in response to reduced contrasts between climate zones and lowered barriers resulting from decreasing atmospheric pCO₂ levels.The leading candidate for the oldest known occurrence of dinosaurs is the tetrapod assemblage of the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina (1–4) where a preferred recalculated ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar date of 231.4 ± 0.3 Ma (1σ analytical uncertainty as reported) (5) on the Herr Toba tuff from near the base of the formation points to a Carnian age for the dinosaur-bearing fauna. However, two recent studies of high-precision U-Pb zircon dates from the Chinle Formation in the American Southwest, practically the only other Late Triassic strata with radioisotopic age constraints on vertebrate assemblages, arrive at very different interpretations of the timing of the dispersal of dinosaurs depending on the accepted degree of total uncertainty for the Ischigualasto ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data.The study by Irmis et al. (6) advocated a diachronous rise of dinosaurs, starting in the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina in the Southern Hemisphere and appearing only later in the Chinle Formation. They pointed to a new U-Pb zircon date of 211.9 ± 0.7 Ma (2σ uncertainty as conventionally reported for U-Pb dates) for a dinosaur-bearing vertebrate assemblage in Hayden Quarry at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, that was considerably younger than the nominal dates from the Ischigualasto Formation. The Placerias Quarry in northeastern Arizona apparently contains even older dinosaurs from the Chinle Formation (7), and although it was not dated directly, Irmis et al. (6) suggested that a new U-Pb zircon date of 218.1 ± 0.7 Ma from presumably age-correlative strata in New Mexico would make even the Placerias assemblage much younger than the Ischigualastian fauna if the Herr Toba date is taken at face value.In contrast, Ramezani et al. (8) suggested that the rise of dinosaurs may have occurred at about the same time across the Americas. Their new U-Pb zircon dates for seven tuffaceous horizons in the Chinle Formation at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, indicated that the entire succession spans from ∼225.0 to 207.8 Ma (or younger), with the Adamanian–Revueltian faunal transition (9) between 219 and 213 Ma. More pertinently, their assessment of the full dating error envelope for the Ischigualasto Formation, including ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data in a thesis (10), suggested that an age of ∼218 Ma (or younger) cannot be excluded for its contact with the overlying Los Colorados Formation. Such a younger age would allow a closer temporal correspondence between the geographically separated assemblages, signifying that the Adamanian was effectively the age equivalent of the Ischigualastian (11) and thus that there was virtually parallel development of early dinosaurs across the Americas. Olsen et al. (12) also expressed doubts about the reliability of the dating of the Ischigualastian vertebrate assemblages that would necessarily make them of Carnian age.There are only two dated levels to formally constrain the numerical age of the Late Triassic epoch: a 230.1 ± 0.06 Ma U-Pb zircon date on a volcanic ash in late Carnian marine strata from southern Italy (13) and an age of 201.3 ± 0.18 Ma calculated for the Triassic–Jurassic boundary from U-Pb zircon dates on volcanic ashes bracketing the boundary in ammonite-bearing sediments from Peru (14). In the current absence of other reliable radioisotopic age controls on fossiliferous marine strata that are the basis for a global chronostratigraphy, correlations to the Newark astrochronological polarity time scale [APTS (15)] have provided important constraints on ages for standard subdivisions of the Late Triassic (16–18), which have largely been adopted in recently published geologic time scales (19, 20). High-precision U-Pb geochronology on earliest Jurassic volcanics of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) interbedded with sediments in the upper part of the Newark continental rift sequence strongly affirms the astrochronological methodology (21).Over the entire ∼35-My-long Late Triassic epoch, there are only four land vertebrate biozones recognized in North America and just two in South America (11). The low temporal resolution combined with endemism of faunas for the Late Triassic make it difficult to disentangle temporal and spatial components governing the distribution of dispersed vertebrate assemblages and for progress requires age control aside from biostratigraphy. In this regard, dating of the Los Colorados Formation would help determine if the underlying Ischigualasto Formation extends into the Norian or is confined to the Carnian and if the temporal range of the dinosaur-bearing Coloradian fauna actually extends to the end of the Triassic as sometimes supposed (e.g., 11). The apparent absence of volcanic ash layers suitable for radioisotopic dating in the Los Colorados Formation motivated this magnetostratigraphic study of the unit and enabled us to address these objectives.     

First record of larval Pseudoproleptus sp. (Nematoda: Cystidicolidae) in fish host

Infective third-stage larvae of the cystidicolid nematode Pseudoproleptus sp. were found encapsulated in the mesentery of the freshwater fish Satanoperca jurupari Heckel (Cichlidae) from the Guamá River, close to the Amazon River Delta, Pará State, Brazil. The prevalence in fish (total body length 9–24 cm) examined from March 2009 to June 2010 (n = 53) was 37%, with an intensity of 4–45 (mean 14 ± 11) larvae per fish. The nematode larvae (body length 16.2–21.6 mm), characterized by the cephalic end provided with a helmet-like cuticular structure having a thickened free posterior margin, were studied based on light and scanning electron microscopy. Fish play a role of paratenic hosts for this nematode species. This is the first record of a larval nematode of the genus Pseudoproleptus from fish, and the second record of a larval nematode belonging to Cystidicolidae in the Amazon and in the Neotropics. Additional larval specimens were found free in the stomach of only 0.9% Ageneiosus ucayalensis Castelnau (Auchenipteridae) examined (n = 205). This finding can be considered as occasional parasitism.     

A new Nematoda (Thelastomatidae) parasite of Coleoptera larvae from Argentina

Summary   Leidynema saltense n. sp. (Nematoda, Thelastomatidae), a parasite of larvae of Cyclocephala modesta (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) from Salta province, Argentina, is described and illustrated. This species is characterised by the presence of an intestinal caecum in the female, and four pairs of genital papillae in the male, one pair of which is large, ventral and pre-anal and three pairs are subventral and postanal.     

Late Paleocene fossils from the Cerrejón Formation,Colombia, are the earliest record of Neotropical rainforest

Neotropical rainforests have a very poor fossil record, making hypotheses concerning their origins difficult to evaluate. Nevertheless, some of their most important characteristics can be preserved in the fossil record: high plant diversity, dominance by a distinctive combination of angiosperm families, a preponderance of plant species with large, smooth-margined leaves, and evidence for a high diversity of herbivorous insects. Here, we report on an ≈58-my-old flora from the Cerrejón Formation of Colombia (paleolatitude ≈5 °N) that is the earliest megafossil record of Neotropical rainforest. The flora has abundant, diverse palms and legumes and similar family composition to extant Neotropical rainforest. Three-quarters of the leaf types are large and entire-margined, indicating rainfall >2,500 mm/year and mean annual temperature >25 °C. Despite modern family composition and tropical paleoclimate, the diversity of fossil pollen and leaf samples is 60–80% that of comparable samples from extant and Quaternary Neotropical rainforest from similar climates. Insect feeding damage on Cerrejón fossil leaves, representing primary consumers, is abundant, but also of low diversity, and overwhelmingly made by generalist feeders rather than specialized herbivores. Cerrejón megafossils provide strong evidence that the same Neotropical rainforest families have characterized the biome since the Paleocene, maintaining their importance through climatic phases warmer and cooler than present. The low diversity of both plants and herbivorous insects in this Paleocene Neotropical rainforest may reflect an early stage in the diversification of the lineages that inhabit this biome, and/or a long recovery period from the terminal Cretaceous extinction.     

A new record of Clinostomum philippinensis (Valasquez, 1959) in Trichogaster microlepis (Gunther, 1861) from Bung Borapet, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

Thirty-six freshwater fish from Bung Borapet, a large reservoir, were examined for helminths in July 2005. The prevalence of infection was 19.44 (7/36) and the intensity was 4.67 (168/36) per fish. Seven fish were infected with 4 species of helminths: 1 trematode, Clinostomum philippinensis (metacercariae); 1 cestode, Senga chiangmaiensis; 1 acanthocephalan, Pallisentis sp and 1 nematode, Camallanus anabantis. An encysted metacercaria of Clinostomum philippinensis was found in the gills of Trichogaster microlepis. The present study is a new report of Clinostomum metacercariae in the second intermediate host, T. microlepsis, in Thailand. Future work should investigate the epidemiology of the metacercarial stage in the intermediate host and the adult in the experimental definitive host.     

Bionomics of Aedes aegypti subpopulations (Diptera: Culicidae) from Misiones Province, northeastern Argentina

Life statistics of four Aedes aegypti subpopulations from the subtropical province of Misiones were studied during autumn and winter, under semi-natural conditions, coming from the localities of Posadas (SW), San Javier (SE), Bernardo de Irigoyen (NE) and Puerto Libertad (NW). The eastern subpopulations are geographically separated by the central mountain system of the province from the western subpopulations. High percentages of larval and pupal survival (97-100%) were recorded, and no significant differences were detected among the four subpopulations. Larvae and pupae lasted approximately 8 days to complete their development, no significant differences being detected among the four subpopulations studied. Sex ratio recorded did not differ significantly from 1:1. Male longevity did not show difference among the different subpopulations, but female longevity was remarkably different among the four subpopulations (F = 16.27; d.f. = (3;8); P = 0.0009), ranging among 11.45 days for San Javier and 57.87 days for Posadas. Fecundity also varied considerably among subpopulations, the greatest number (307.44 eggs/female) being recorded for Posadas (F = 4.13; d.f. = (3;8); P = 0.04). Ae. aegypti females of the western subpopulations lived longer than the eastern subpopulations studied, therefore, the risk of dengue outbreak would be greater on the Misiones Province border with Paraguay.     

Thrombocytopenia in Plasmodium falciparum,Plasmodium vivax and mixed infection malaria: A study from Bikaner (Northwestern India)

The occurrence, relation and magnitude of thrombocytopenia in different species of malaria are not clearly defined. This study included 1,064 patients admitted with malaria to study thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150,000 /cumm) in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Plasmodium vivax (Pv) mono infection and mixed infection (Pf?+?Pv). The species diagnosis was done by peripheral blood film (PBF) and rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Validation by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done only in patients with severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <20,000 /cumm). The breakup of patients was 525 (49.34%) Pf, 460 (43.23%) Pv and 79 (7.42%) mixed malaria (Pf?+?Pv). Thrombocytopenia was observed in 24.6% (262/1064) patients. The risk was greatest in the mixed infections in comparison to monoinfection individually (43.04% [34/79]; mixed vs Pv monoinfection: Odds Ratio [OR]?=?1.675 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.029–2.726], p?<?0.0366; mixed vs Pf monoinfection: OR=3.911 [95% CI 2.367–6.463], p?<?0.0001). Pv monoinfection (31.09% [143/460]) had greater risk compared to Pf monoinfection (16.19% [85/525]; OR?=?2.335 [95% CI 1.722–3.167], p?<?0.0001). The occurrence of severe thrombocytopenia was also higher in Pv monoinfection (18.18% [26/143]) in comparison to either Pf monoinfection (10.59% [9/85], OR?=?1.877 (95% CI 0.834–4.223)) or mixed infection (11.76% [4/34]; OR?=?1.667 (95% CI 0.540–5.142) but this association was statistically not significant. Six patients (3 Pv, 2?Pf and 1 mixed) developed severe epistaxis requiring platelet transfusion. There was no relation between parasite density and platelet count as many patients with severe thrombocytopenia had parasite density similar to patients without thrombocytopenia. We found that the association of thrombocytopenia was statistically more significant with P. vivax monoinfection as compared to P. falciparum.