No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

The submitted thesis deals with the analysis of selected fish coprolites found in the Loučka site (Moravia; Menilite Fm.). Eleven specimens was selected (provisionally numbered I-XI) of which two were macerated (specimens I and II). The remaining nine specimens were examined at the surface of the sedimentary layers. Recognizable elements were classified to the following taxa: Keasius parvus, Alopias exigua, Squalus cf. alsaticus, Sardinella sardinites, Anenchelum glarisianum, Palimphyes sp., Palaeogadus sp., Gonostomatidae (gen. et. sp. indet.), Perciformes (gen. et sp. indet.), and Teleostei (gen. et sp. indet.). Composition of the studied coprolites I, II and IV suggest that these were produced by shark species Alopias exigua and Squalus cf. alsaticus. Studied coprolites V, VIII, X and XI were produced by some type of undetermined predatory fish (probably piscivore predator). For coprolites III, VI, VII and IX producer can not be determined.

No description available.

Longtemps utilisés en palynologie pour l’étude des paléo-environnements, les coprolithes, excréments fossilisés, sont également d’importantes sources d’information pour des espèces disparues, producteurs ou proies. Grâce à de nombreux échantillons archéologiques provenant d’une dizaine de grottes, comme la Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, deux espèces ont pu être étudiées : le loup, Canis lupus, et l’hyène des cavernes, Crocuta crocuta spelaea.À partir d’un coprolithe de canidé, daté à 34 500 ans, un génome mitochondrial complet de Canis lupus a pu être reconstitué. Les analyses phylogénétiques ont montré que ce spécimen se situe en dehors de la diversité des chiens et loups actuels. Puis, les analyses menées sur des gènes nucléaires ont montré que le spécimen de Chauvet ne présente pas de traces évidentes de domestication. L’étude du coprolithe met en évidence un régime carné, avec un bol alimentaire comportant des traces d’ADN d’ours des cavernes, Ursus spelaeus.Dans un second temps, grâce à l’étude de nombreux coprolithes d’hyène des cavernes, une alimentation variée composée d’animaux de grande comme de petite taille a été mise en évidence pour ce carnivore. L’analyse plus fine des séquences d’ADN contenues dans l’un des échantillons a permis de reconstituer un génome mitochondrial complet pour une espèce aujourd’hui éteinte : le bison des forêts, Bison schoetensacki. En parallèle, grâce à l’étude d’un ossement de bison des steppes, Bison priscus, un génome mitochondrial complet a été obtenu pour cette espèce éteinte. L’ajout de ces deux nouvelles séquences mitochondriales à la phylogénie des bovidés a permis d’apporter des éclaircissements à cette dernière. / Coprolites have long been used in palynology for paleoenvironments reconstruction. They also are an important source of information on the DNA of the producing species and its diet. Using numerous archeological samples from several caves, including the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave, we studied coprolites for two species: the wolf, Canis lupus and the cave hyena, Crocuta crocuta spelaea.Using a canid coprolite from the Chauvet cave, dated back to 34 500 years, we obtained a complete mitochondrial genome sequence. Phylogenetic analyses highlight a maternal lineage that positions outside the diversity of extant dogs and wolfs. Then, analyzes conducted on the nuclear genes showed that the Chauvet canis lupus specimen does not display obvious indication of domestication. Analysing the coprolite for other species to indicate the diet of this specimen, we detected cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) DNA sequences.Second, using many cave hyena coprolites, a flexible diet consisting of large as well as small animals was demonstrated for this extinct carnivore. Focusing the analysis on a coprolite samples that contained large amounts of bovine DNA, we obtained for the first time a complete mitochondrial genome sequence for the extinct European forest bison, Bison schoetensacki. In parallel, a bone sample for the extinct steppe bison provided the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence for Bison priscus. These two genome sequences shed new lights on the phylogeny of Bovinae.

No / Until now, the oldest known human hair was from a 9000-year-old South American mummy. Here we report fossil hairs of probable human origin that exceed that age by about 200,000 years. The hairs have been discovered in a brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) coprolite from Gladysvale cave in South Africa. The coprolite is part of a hyaena latrine preserved in calcified cave sediment dated between 195,000 and 257,000 years ago. This find supports the hypothesis that hyaenas accumulated some of the early hominin remains found in cave sites, and provides a new source of information on Pleistocene mammals in the Sterkfontein Valley.

Identification of pollen in fecal pellets is a potential technique for describing an animals diet and in turn the vegetation of an area. Mule deer and Bighorn Sheep pellets representing both summer and winter browsing and a variety of habitats were examined using relative percentages and the absolute pollen frequencies. In addition, fossil pellets from Stanton's Cave, Grand Canyon, Arizona, were examined and compared with modern pellets. Absolute pollen frequencies of individual pellets showed higher values and greater variation for summer pellets than for winter pellets. Relative pollen percentages for a specific vegetation type showed more variation in fecal pellets than in soil surface samples. Unless specifically being eaten, arboreal pollen types such as Pinus are less abundant in fecal pellets than in soil samples. Unlike soil surface samples, arboreal pollen types in fecal pellets are frequently limited to the immediate source area.

Thesis (M.S. in botany)--Washington State University, May 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 21, 2010). "School of Biological Sciences." Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-54).

En faisant le parallèle avec les selles modernes, les coprolithes peuvent être appropriés à l'étude des habitudes alimentaires, de la flore intestinale et des maladies, des animaux et des hommes ayant vécu il y a des siècles. Dans le travail de thèse ici présenté, un coprolithe datant des 14-15ième siècles, provenant de Namur en Belgique, a été étudié. Dans un premier temps l'ensemble de la communauté microbienne associée au coprolithe été characteriser. Les résultats ont montré qu'une partie du microbiote est similaire à l'environnement et l’autre la flore intestinale, des parasites intestinaux et des pathogènes systémiques ont été aussi trouvés. Un second projet a visé à la purification de particules virales à partir du coprolithe et leur analyse par microscopie électronique et métagénomique virale. Des particules virales sphériques, ainsi que des bactériophages, ont ainsi été observés. Les virus associés au coprolithe correspondent à des virus d'eucaryotes, de procaryotes et d'archaea. La communauté virale était dominée par des bactériophages détectés dans le sol et les selles. Parmi les fonctions métaboliques détectées, une correspond d'ailleurs à des résistances aux antibiotiques. Dans un troisième projet, des cultures et des identifications moléculaires ont été réalisées sur des kystes d'amibes observés dans le coprolithe. Les amibes isolées appartiennent au genre Acanthamoeba et pourraient avoir été conservées sous forme de kystes pendant des siècles dans le coprolithe. Les co-cultures d'amibes ont mené à l'isolement d'une nouvelle bactérie bi-flagellée résistante aux amibes, proche des Rickettsiales. / By drawing parallels to modern stools, coprolites can be suitable specimen to study diet habits, gut microbiota and diseases of animals and humans that have lived centuries ago. During this thesis work, a 14-15th century coprolite specimen from Namur, Belgium was analyzed. At the initiation of this thesis work, it was aimed to characterize the entire microbial communities associated to the coprolite and to identify ancient pathogens. Results indicated that parts of the microbiota are similar to those coming from environment and the gut microbiota inhabitants. Further intestinal parasites and systemic pathogens – still relevant nowadays – were also found. In a second work, viral particles were purified from the Namur coprolite and analyzed by electron microscopic and viral metagenomic. Viral particles associated to spherical virions and bacteriophages were observable. Viruses infecting eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea were associated to the specimen. The viral community was dominated by bacteriophages commonly found in soil and in modern stools and antibiotic resistance was one of the metabolic functions detected. In a third project, culture and molecular identification were performed on amoebal cysts observed within the coprolite. The amoebas isolated belong to the genus Acanthamoeba and might have been conserved in form of cysts inside the Namur coprolite for centuries. Amoeba-co culturing leaded to the isolation and identification of a new bi-flagellar amoeba-resistant bacterium closely related to Rickettsiales.

No description available.