Dinosaur parasites

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

That thumb-spike could have been useful for scratching...  ;-)

Poinar G. & Boucot, A.J. (2006) Evidence of intestinal parasites of 
dinosaurs. Parasitology. 20: 1-5 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract: "Protozoan cysts and helminth eggs preserved in a coprolite from 
the Early Cretaceous Bernissart _Iguanodon_ shaft in Belgium demonstrate 
that representatives of 3 phyla parasitized dinosaurs by that period. These 
fossil parasite stages are described and their possible effect on dinosaurs 
discussed. These findings represent the earliest fossil records of protozoan 
and helminth parasites of terrestrial vertebrates."