ArticleAnimal microbiome2026
The faecal microbiota and its influence on fur seal (Arctocephalus sp.) physiology.
Article in Animal microbiome, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe gastrointestinal microbiota is a key determinant of vertebrate physiology, metabolism, and adaptation, forming a dynamic holobiont system that supports host health and resilience. However, while the gut microbiota of several fur seal species has been described, most studies have focused primarily on taxonomic composition, leaving a major gap in understanding how microbial communities influence host physiology in marine mammals. This study provides the first comprehensive comparison of the faecal microbiota and blood metabolomic profiles of Australian (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and New Zealand fur seals (A. forsteri) across age classes (adult vs. pup), integrating 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics and untargeted lipidomics to examine host-microbe interactions.
resultsAdult fur seals exhibited a conserved microbial structure dominated by the phyla Bacillota, Fusobacteriota, and Bacteroidota, while pups displayed lower microbial diversity and higher relative abundances of Actinobacteriota and Campylobacterota, alongside enrichment of metabolites involved in DNA synthesis (2-deoxy-D-ribose, 2-deoxycytidine, and 2-deoxyuridine) and lipid metabolism. Correlations between bacterial taxa and metabolites implicated in growth, fat deposition, and hair development suggest that it is possible that early-life microbial communities may play an important role in supporting rapid development and thermoregulation.
conclusionsDespite logistical constraints inherent to field-based sampling of wild marine mammals, our findings demonstrate consistent microbial patterns within the Arctocephalus genus and clear age-related differences in blood metabolic profiles. Together, these results enhance understanding of the complex interplay between host development, diet, and microbial ecology in fur seals, and establish a foundation for future research into the functional significance of microbiota in marine mammal health and adaptation. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42458642What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.