title: First paleoparasitological record of acanthocephalan eggs from Northwestern Patagonia (Late Holocene, Argentina).
abstract: Eggs representative of an acanthocephalan were found in an ancient fragment of raptor pellet, probably belonged to the barn owl, Tyto alba, from the archeological site named "Epullán Chica cave." This site is a cave located at the southern of Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The fragment of pellet was found in a layer with charcoals dated at 1980±80 years B.P. A total of 56 eggs were found. Eggs were brown colored and thick-shelled, and presented four membranes, the outer lightly sculpted. The embryos presented hooks in one extremity. Measurements ranged from 87.5 to 107.5μm long and 50 to 57.5μm wide. Eggs were very well-preserved, and were identified as belonged to Class Archiacanthocephala, Order Oligacanthorhynchida, Family Oligacanthorhynchidae, probably Macracanthorhynchus Travassos, 1917, or an unidentified species. This is the first report of small mammal acanthocephalans from ancient material worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Paleoparasitología y Arqueología Contextual, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, Mar del Plata, 7600 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: ornelabeltrame@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: María Ornela
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Beltrame
authors.affiliation: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Anatomía Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, calle 64 s/n (entre diag. 113 y calle 120), La Plata, 1900 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fernando Julián
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Paleoparasitología y Arqueología Contextual, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, Mar del Plata, 7600 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Norma Haydeé
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Sardella
mesh_terms: D000049:Acanthocephala / Q000145:classification*; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005580:Fossils / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D010063:Ovum / Q000469:parasitology*; D010164:Paleopathology; D020304:Raptors / Q000469:parasitology*; D020305:Strigiformes / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Archeological site; Archiacanthocephala; Owl pellet; Paleoparasitology; Patagonia