8 Prehistoric Parasites That Even Freaked The Dinosaurs Out
We all know there were mosquitoes in the time of the dinosaurs, mainly because that’s how “Jurassic Park” supposedly came to be. Aside from that, we rarely talk about parasites of bygone eras.
Part of this is because it’s honestly hard to find any evidence that such parasites existed long ago, but the main reason why they’re forgotten about is because dinosaurs were the coolest. Why would we discuss anything else? For the sake of being inclusive, let’s give these deadly little critters credit. Oh, and most of them are still around today.
1. Parasitic wasps
Parasitic wasps lived in the early Eocene age and they fed off the blood of prehistoric beetles. Some parasitic wasps laid their eggs inside caterpillar corpses. Eventually, their larvae ate their way out from the inside.
2. Zombie ant fungus
Ever since the Cretaceous period, zombie ant fungus has survived by infecting ants with a pathogen that essentially controls their minds.
3. Mosquitoes
Sadly, it’s been proven that the DNA found inside of a mosquito cannot create a park full of dinosaurs, but prehistoric mosquitoes are sometimes found in amber, and some still have blood in them!
4. Midges…and their own malaria-ridden parasites
Midges are parasites in their own right, but what dinosaurs really had to fear from prehistoric midges were the malaria-carrying parasites that lived in their abdominal cavities. Scientists think that these parasites contributed to the end of the dinosaurs.
5. Tapeworms
What’s more terrifying than a tapeworm? An underwater tapeworm! While examining the ancient poop of prehistoric sharks, researchers found evidence that one shark was carrying 93 tapeworm eggs in its colon.
6. Pinworms
In 2014, a new type of pinworm was discovered in the feces of a Triassic cynodont, which might be the earliest known example of a pinworm feeding on a warm-blooded animal.
7. Schistosomiasis
Even prehistoric man had to contend with parasites. A 6,200-year-old schistosomiasis egg was found near the Euphrates River, giving us the earliest evidence that irrigation led to disease. Not familiar with schistosomiasis? It’s a disease caused by flatworms that affects the urinary tract and can cause serious bloating.
8. Fleas
Fleas in the modern era are so tiny that you can barely see them, but that may not have always been the case. Fossils found in China suggest that they were much bigger during the Jurassic period and more proportionate to their dinosaur hosts. While modern fleas are between one and 10 millimeters in length, prehistoric ones could grow up to 21 millimeters long.
As creepy as parasites are nowadays, be glad that you didn’t live in prehistoric times when they were basically on steroids!
Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/prehistoric-parasites/
