What the Fossil Record Tells Us About Parasites, and What Parasites Can Tell Us About Fossil Animals

Presented by Dr. Tommy Leung of the University of New England, Australia, March 28, 2024.
Parasites are ubiquitous in any ecosystem on this planet, but because of their soft bodies and mostly small sizes, they are rarely fossilized. However, advances in preparation techniques and imaging technology in recent decades have allowed more fossils of parasites to be discovered and described. These fossils have provided scientists with a fascinating glimpse into an aspect of prehistoric life that has been largely overlooked.
In this talk, Dr. Leung discusses: the fossil record of parasites throughout Earth’s history; the insights fossils can provide regarding the evolution of parasitism; the ecological role parasites might have played in the ancient world; and what fossil parasites can tell us about how their extinct hosts lived.