A tick from a prehistoric Arizona coprolite

Area of Science:

• Paleoparasitology
• Archaeoentomology
• Human Paleoecology

Background:

• Ticks are significant vectors of disease globally.
• Archaeological investigations have not previously reported tick discoveries.
• Understanding ancient ectoparasite presence informs human health and behavior.

Observation:

• A tick was identified within a coprolite (fossilized feces).
• The coprolite was excavated from Antelope Cave in northwest Arizona.
• Dietary analysis confirmed the coprolite's human origin.

Findings:

• This marks the first reported discovery of a tick in archaeological analysis.
• The coprolite is linked to the Ancestral Pueblo culture (Anasazi).
• The presence of a tick supports hypotheses of ancient disease transmission via ticks.

Implications:

• This finding provides direct evidence for the role of ticks in ancient human disease ecology.
• It suggests that ectoparasites, including ticks, may have been consumed by ancient populations.
• The discovery opens new avenues for investigating human-ectoparasite interactions in the past.