title: Paleoparasitological analysis of the extinct Myotragus balearicus Bate 1909 (Artiodactyla, Caprinae) from Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean).
abstract: Myotragus balearicus (Artiodactyla, Caprinae) is an extinct caprine endemic of the Eastern Balearic Islands or Gymnesics (i.e., Mallorca, Menorca and surrounding islets, Western Mediterranean Sea). In spite of its small size, c. 50cm height at the shoulder, it was the largest mammal inhabiting these islands until the human arrival, and it had peculiar short legs and frontal vision. It disappeared between 2830 and 2210calBCE. The coprolites here studied were recovered from Cova Estreta, in Pollença, Mallorca. The samples were subjected to microscopic examination and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for E. histolytica/E. dispar, Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium parvum. This study provides new paleoparasitological data from an extinct animal species of the Holocene period. The microscopy revealed one sample containing uninucleated-cyst of Entamoeba sp., whereas ELISA detected nine positive samples for Cryptosporidium sp. The finding of these protozoans can help in the discussion of its extinction cause and demonstrates the antiquity and the evolutionary history of host-parasite relationships between protozoa and caprines since the Messinian.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Endemias Samuel Pessoa/Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (DENSP/ENSP/FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil; Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas/Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FCM/UERJ), Avenida Professor Manuel de Abreu, 444 5° andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-170, Brazil. Electronic address: borba.vh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Victor Hugo
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Borba Nunes
authors.affiliation: Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA/CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Electronic address: jaalcover@imedea.uib-csic.es.
authors.forename: Josep Antoni
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alcover
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunodiagnóstico, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas/Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (DCB/ENSP/FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil. Electronic address: valmir@ensp.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Valmir Laurentino
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunodiagnóstico, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas/Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (DCB/ENSP/FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil. Electronic address: paula.cruz@ensp.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Paula Borba
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas/Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FCM/UERJ), Avenida Professor Manuel de Abreu, 444 5° andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-170, Brazil. Electronic address: jrmasilva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Machado-Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Endemias Samuel Pessoa/Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (DENSP/ENSP/FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adauto José Gonçalves
authors.initials: AJG
authors.lastname: de Araújo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004747:Entamoeba / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005580:Fossils / Q000469:parasitology*; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008521:Mediterranean Islands; D010802:Phylogeny; D012418:Ruminants / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain
keywords: Coprolites; Cryptosporidium parvum; Entamoeba sp.; Giardia intestinalis; Myotragus balearicus; Paleoparasitology