TY - JOUR
T1 - Automontage microscopy and SEM
T2 - A combined approach for documenting ancient lice
AU - Reinhard, Karl J.
AU - Pucu de Araújo, Elisa
AU - Searcey, Nicole A.
AU - Buikstra, Jane
AU - Morrow, Johnica J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The mummy recovery was accomplished with NSF funding to Dr. Jane Buikstra (BNS89-20769). The authors would like to thank the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences Program (UCARE) for lab support. The SEM imaging was done in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center for Biotechnology, Morrison Microscopy Core Research Facility. We thank Christian Elowsky and Han Chen for their assistance in image procurement and figure development. We also thank the School of Natural Resources within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Automontage images in this research were taken in the Biodiversity Synthesis Laboratory of the University of Nebraska State Museum (NSF/BSandI Multi-user Equipment grant DBI 0500767 to M. L. Jameson and F. C. Ocampo).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Human ectoparasites, including lice, have been recovered from a wide range of archaeological materials. The human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, has been identified from mummies and sediments for decades. Louse eggs are the body part most commonly encountered and therefore the most frequently quantified. Typically, several types of microscopy are applied for egg documentation. For studies in which quantification of infestation is a goal, counting is done with the naked eye or with the aid of handheld lenses. For determination and stage classification, stereomicroscopy is commonly used. For more detailed examination of microstructure, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) can be employed. In most reports, researchers use two or more techniques to accomplish interrelated goals. Automontage microscopy is used to document prehistoric arthropods with good success. Herein, we report the results of a combination of SEM and automontage microscopy to document lice and eggs recovered from South American mummies. This combined approach allows for simultaneous examination of internal and external characteristics. Thirty automontage composite images of 2 adult lice and 16 eggs showed that egg internal morphologies were easily examined showing the within-egg anatomy of emergent nymphs. SEM imaging of 9 lice and 129 eggs was completed. In the case of two adults and several eggs, SEM imaging was accomplish after automontage image capture of the same specimens. This one-to-one image comparison of SEM and automontage shows that transmitted light of automontage reveals egg internal structures and details of the adult lice. SEM allows for high magnification examination of egg, nymph and adult microstructures. We conclude that automontage imaging followed by SEM results in efficient graphic documentation of rare louse specimens.
AB - Human ectoparasites, including lice, have been recovered from a wide range of archaeological materials. The human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, has been identified from mummies and sediments for decades. Louse eggs are the body part most commonly encountered and therefore the most frequently quantified. Typically, several types of microscopy are applied for egg documentation. For studies in which quantification of infestation is a goal, counting is done with the naked eye or with the aid of handheld lenses. For determination and stage classification, stereomicroscopy is commonly used. For more detailed examination of microstructure, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) can be employed. In most reports, researchers use two or more techniques to accomplish interrelated goals. Automontage microscopy is used to document prehistoric arthropods with good success. Herein, we report the results of a combination of SEM and automontage microscopy to document lice and eggs recovered from South American mummies. This combined approach allows for simultaneous examination of internal and external characteristics. Thirty automontage composite images of 2 adult lice and 16 eggs showed that egg internal morphologies were easily examined showing the within-egg anatomy of emergent nymphs. SEM imaging of 9 lice and 129 eggs was completed. In the case of two adults and several eggs, SEM imaging was accomplish after automontage image capture of the same specimens. This one-to-one image comparison of SEM and automontage shows that transmitted light of automontage reveals egg internal structures and details of the adult lice. SEM allows for high magnification examination of egg, nymph and adult microstructures. We conclude that automontage imaging followed by SEM results in efficient graphic documentation of rare louse specimens.
KW - Automontage
KW - Lice
KW - Microscopy
KW - Mummy
KW - Nit
KW - Pediculushumanus Scanning Electron Microscopy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091644789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85091644789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.micron.2020.102931
DO - 10.1016/j.micron.2020.102931
M3 - Article
C2 - 33007471
AN - SCOPUS:85091644789
SN - 0968-4328
VL - 139
JO - Micron
JF - Micron
M1 - 102931
ER -