title: Eating lizards: a millenary habit evidenced by Paleoparasitology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Analyses of coprolites have contributed to the knowledge of diet as well as infectious diseases in ancient populations. Results of paleoparasitological studies showed that prehistoric groups were exposed to spurious and zoonotic parasites, especially food-related. Here we report the findings of a paleoparasitological study carried out in remote regions of Brazil's Northeast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eggs of Pharyngodonidae (Nematoda, Oxyuroidea), a family of parasites of lizards and amphibians, were found in four human coprolites collected from three archaeological sites. In one of these, lizard scales were also found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through the finding of eggs of Pharyngodonidae in human coprolites and reptilescales in one of these, we have provided evidence that humans have consumed reptiles at least 10,000 years ago. This food habit persists to modern times in remote regions of Brazil's Northeast. Although Pharyngodonidae species are not known to infect humans, the consumption of raw or undercooked meat from lizards and other reptiles may have led to transmission of a wide range of zoonotic agents to humans in the past.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, CEP 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sianto
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Santos
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chame
authors.forename: Sergio M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Sheila M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.forename: Adauto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araujo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010163:Paleontology; D011235:Predatory Behavior