The earliest evidence of host-parasite interactions in vertebrates

Luk s evics, E., Lebedev, O. A., Mark-Kurik, E. and Karataj u te-Talimaa, V. 2009. The earliest evidence of host‐parasite interactions in vertebrates. — Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 90 (Suppl. 1): 335‐343 Traces of parasite action have been discovered in the Middle‐Upper Devonian fish from Estonia, Latvia and European Russia. Such traces are known in heterostracan Psammolepis venyukovi , antiarchs Asterolepis radiata and Bothriolepis ciecere , sarcopterygians Holoptychius sp., Ventalepis ketleriensis and Eusthenodon sp. nov. The traces include evidence of parasitic fixation and penetration as well as dwelling traces. Pathologies are developed as (1) round fossulae on the external surface of b…