FINDING OF ASCARID EGGS IN MAMMOTH

Abstract

Mammoth parasites (Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach, 1799) are currently being studied according to the morphological characteristics of parasite residues due to the lack of established genetic markers for performing genetic tests. A parasitological study of the intestinal contents of two mammoths was carried out – Mongochensky (Gydan Peninsula) and Tadibе (Yamal Peninsula). We conducted a parasitological study of the remains of the intestines of two mammoths - Mongochensky and Tadibe, provided by employees of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The work was carried out according to the generally accepted in paleoparasitology method with the use of residue rehydration and the subsequent use of the combined and sedimentation method. In a parasitological study of the intestinal contents of the Mongochensky mammoth, no parasites were found, while analysis of the material from the mammoth from Tadibe revealed two nematode eggs. The number of eggs found was small 1.5 eggs per 1 g of feces. Large sizes, rounded shape, the presence of a thick layered shell made it possible to identify these objects as eggs of representatives of the family Ascarididae Baird, 1853. The structure of the eggs was similar to ones from modern horse parascarids. The diameter of the eggs was 78.68±1.19 and 87.94±0.47 mkm, the wall thickness was 4.14±0.29 and 4.48±0.34 microns, which is comparable to similar indicators of modern representatives. This is the first report of the detection of Ascarididae nematode in mammoths.