title: Ecological analysis of acari recovered from coprolites from archaeological site of northeast Brazil.
abstract: Coprolite samples of human and animal origin from the excavations performed at the archaeological site of Furna do Estrago, at Brejo da Madre de Deus in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil and sent to the Paleoparasitology Laboratory at Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, were analyzed for mites. After rehydratation and sedimentation of the coprolites, the alimentary contents and the sediments were examined and the mites collected and prepared in definitive whole mounts, using Hoyer's medium. Mites of the following suborders and orders were recovered: suborder Acaridia; order Gamasida; order Ixodida with the familiy Ixodidae (Ixodes sp. and Amblyomma sp. larvae, scutum, idiosoma, gnathosoma); order Oribatida (Aphelacarus sp., Apolohmannia sp., Eophypochthonius sp., Cosmochthonius sp., Pterobates sp., Poronoticae with pteromorphae not auriculate); order Astigmata with the families Atopomelidae (Chirodiscoides caviae), Anoetidae hypopus, Acaridae (Suidasia pontifica), Glycyphagidae (Blomia tropicalis), Pyroglyphidae (Hirstia passericola); order Actinedida with the family Tarsonemidae (Iponemus radiatae). The present work discusses the possibility of the preservation of the mite groups found up to the present day. We also discuss their relationship with the environment and their importance to present populations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Cidade Universitária Paulo IV, Caixa Postal 09, 65055-970 São Luis, MA, Brasil. grita62@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rita de Maria Seabra Nogueira
authors.initials: Rde M
authors.lastname: de Candanedo Guerra
authors.forename: Gilberto Salles
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gazêta
authors.forename: Marinete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Antonio Nascimento
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Nicolau Maués
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Serra-Freire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000145:classification*; D013987:Ticks / Q000145:classification*