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Widespread mermithid nematode parasitism of Cretaceous insects
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Abstract
Mermithid nematodes are obligate invertebrate parasites dating back to the Early Cretaceous. Their fossil record is sparse, especially before the Cenozoic, thus little is known about their early host associations. This study reports 16 new mermithids associated with their insect hosts from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, 12 of which include previously unknown hosts. These fossils indicate that mermithid parasitism of invertebrates was already widespread and played an important role in the mid-Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem. Remarkably, three hosts (bristletails, barklice, and perforissid planthoppers) were previously unknown to be parasitized by mermithids both past and present. Furthermore, our study shows that in contrast to their Cenozoic counterparts, Cretaceous nematodes including mermithids are more abundant in non-holometabolous insects. This result suggests that nematodes had not completely exploited the dominant Holometabola as their hosts until the Cenozoic. This study reveals what appears to be a vanished history of nematodes that parasitized Cretaceous insects.
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“In this context, IgE-mediated itch and local wheal-and-flare reactions may be interpreted not only as pathological allergic manifestations but also as protective responses that promote grooming, avoidance behavior, and parasite removal (Luo et al. 2023; Moats et al. 2016; Poinar 2015).”
From Parasites and allergies: a complex bidirectional relationship from evolutionary origins to modern therapeutics (2026) · cites this paper as Luo et al. 2023
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Cited by
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Packi, K., Świerczewski, D., Klimczak, S., Ochab, D., Gałęziewska, J., Gromek, P., Kruczkowska, W., Płuciennik, E., Kałuzińska-Kołat, Ż., & Kołat, D. (2026) · Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · doi:10.1007/s10482-026-02425-4
Metadata
- Authors
- Luo, C., Poinar, G. O., Xu, C., Zhuo, D., Jarzembowski, E. A., & Wang, B.
- Venue
- eLife
- Publisher
- eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
- Published
- 2023-07-14
- Volume
- 12
- ISSN
- 2050-084X
- PMC
- PMC10348742
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 1
- Language
- en
- Licence
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (42125201)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (Strategic Priority Research Program XDB26000000)
- Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (2019QZKK0706)
- CAS President's International Fellowship Initiative
- UNESCO-IUGS (IGCP Project 679)
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