Paleoparasitology in Russia, history and prospects

The science of paleoparasitology refers to parasitic animals and plants existing both in the recent past (including human history) and more remote periods of life on Earth. The history of paleoparasitology and its development in Old and New World countries is well-known, however, in Russia, the history of this science has hardly been considered. The present paper offers a review of Pleistocene findings of fossil para- sites, parasitizing both mammals and humans, recorded in Russia. New data on the latest research in this field is presented.