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charlotte.barker
@texerepublishing.comCoprolite
Parasite Insight
Lipid profiling of fossilized
feces highlights the spread
of intestinal infections in
ancient Turkey(^8) Upfront
The increased spread of infectious disease
during the Neolithic period is attributed
to agricultural and population expansion
as humans transitioned from hunter-
gatherers to farmers and herders. Intestinal
parasites in particular are thought to have
adapted in response to altering human
behavior at that time.
Marrisa Ledger and colleagues honed
in on parasite infections in the village of
Çatalhöyük, Turkey, by analyzing four
samples of coprolite (fossilized feces) from
6410-6150 BCE (1). The samples were
first ground and analyzed by digital light
microscopy to confirm the presence of
parasite eggs; next, the total lipid extracts
of the infected samples were subjected
to GC-MS to determine levels of sterols
(including those used as fecal biomarker
compounds) and bile acids (produced by
the organism of origin).
Two of the four samples tested positive for
whipworm eggs (Trichuris sp.), most likely
human whipworms (Trichuris trichuria),
and lipid analysis indicated samples of
human origin; sterol profiles were typical
of omnivores (high coprostanol, low
cholesterol and numerous phytosterols) and
bile acid profiles were primarily deoxycholic
acid, with few lithocholic acids. The results
appear to provide the first evidence for
intestinal parasite infection in this region
at this time. Additional pelvic soil samples
were also collected from nearby burial
sites as a control – but all tested negative
for parasite eggs.
The researchers plan to use the method
to study additional compounds from
coprolite samples in studies that go
beyond simply confirming the species of
origin. “We are developing a more holistic
approach,” says investigator Ian Bull.
A human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura).