Early history of parasitic diseases in northern dogs revealed by dog paleofeces from the 9000-year-old frozen Zhokhov site in the New Siberian Islands of East Siberian Arctic

Abstract

We herein report the results of archaeoparasitological research on dog paleofeces from the Early Holocene Zhokhov site located in the New Siberian Islands of Arctic East Siberia about 8500–9000 years ago. We aimed to 1) determine parasitic diseases of dogs through archaeoparasitological analysis of their excrement, 2) establish possible routes of infestation, and 3) use the obtained data to reconstruct economic activities, domestic practices, and diet of the ancient population that inhabited the Zhokhov site. In the search for evidence, we analyzed 34 samples of dog paleofeces excavated from the site in 2002 and 2003. In 91.18 % of the samples, eggs from tapeworms of the genus Dibothriocephalus, presumably Dibothriocephalus latus, were found, and in 32.35 % of the samples, eggs from cestodes of the Taeniidae family were detected. The high infection rate in dogs with diphyllobothriasis indicates a significant role of fishing in the economic activities of Zhokhov inhabitants, despite the small amount of direct archaeological evidence for this activity. The presence of Taeniidae eggs indicates that dogs were fed reindeer meat. The results of the study allowed us to reconstruct the dietary composition of dogs and, indirectly, that of humans, assess the risk of zoonotic infections, and determine the parasitic load on the Early Holocene population of the Arctic zone of Eastern Siberia. The obtained data are also considered from the perspective of the Stockholm Paradigm (SP) to fully understand the evolution of relationships in the parasite-host system in the context of ancient Arctic human adaptations.