Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29748625›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2018

Sea Lions Develop Human-like Vernix Caseosa Delivering Branched Fats and Squalene to the GI Tract.

Dong Hao Wang, Rinat Ran-Ressler, Judy St Leger, Erika Nilson, Lauren Palmer, Richard Collins, J Thomas Brenna

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Dong Hao WangDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Rinat Ran-ResslerDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Judy St LegerSeaworld, San Diego, CA, 92109, USA.
Erika NilsonSeaworld, San Diego, CA, 92109, USA.
Lauren PalmerThe Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur, 3601 S, Gaffey St #8, San Pedro, CA, 90731, USA.
Richard CollinsStudiecentrum Antropologie, Mechelbaan 338, 2580, Putte, Belgium.
J Thomas BrennaDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. tbrenna@utexas.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-9494-4245

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vernix caseosa, the white waxy coating found on newborn human skin, is thought to be a uniquely human substance. Its signature characteristic is exceptional richness in saturated branched chain fatty acids (BCFA) and squalene. Vernix particles sloughed from the skin suspended in amniotic fluid are swallowed by the human fetus, depositing BCFA/squalene throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, thereby establishing a unique microbial niche that influences development of nascent microbiota. Here we show that late-term California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) fetuses have true vernix caseosa, delivering BCFA and squalene to the fetal GI tract thereby recapitulating the human fetal gut microbial niche. These are the first data demonstrating the production of true vernix caseosa in a species other than Homo sapiens. Its presence in a marine mammal supports the hypothesis of an aquatic habituation period in the evolution of modern humans.

Indexed as

AnimalsFatty AcidsFemaleFetusGastrointestinal TractHumansInfant, NewbornMalePregnancySea LionsSpecies SpecificitySqualeneVernix CaseosaFatty AcidsSqualene

Identifiers

PMID29748625
PMCPMC5945841

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.