FUMDHAMentos VII- Adauto Araújo et alii 69

Tracing human prehistoric migrations by paleoparasitology findings FUMDHAMentos VII- Adauto Araújo et alii 70 Paleoparasitology has contributed to resume the debate about the peopling of the Americas. The finding of parasites in human coprolites has allowed tracing pre-historic human migrations. Hookworm and whipworm infections have been recorded in pre-Columbian America. These intestinal parasites originated in African pre-hominids and have accompanied humans across continents. However, when humans crossed the Beringia cold climate conditions probably eliminated from the traveling human populations. Both hookworms and whipworms can only be transferred via development in the soil where temperature and humidity conditions are essential to maintain transmission. Therefore, transpacific contacts have been proposed to explain their presence in pre-Columbian populations. Chagas disease points also to ancient human movements and cultural diffusion in the past. It is accepted that the center of origin of human Trypanosoma cruzi infection was in Andean populations 6,000 – 7,000 years ago. From there the disease was dispersed to other parts of the continent during colonial times. However, evidence of T. cruzi infection has been found in other parts of the Americas, raising alternative hypothesis on the antiquity of Chagas disease. Paleoparasitology is a new science to study past events, shedding light on human and other animal behavior, migration routes, and health conditions in the past