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Vernix caseosa - a testable hypothesis.
Vernix caseosa - a testable hypothesis.


A repeated complaint against the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis was that it offered no testable hypotheses, as scientific method requires. In 'The Descent of the Child' (1994) Elaine Morgan noted that, "Almost every human baby comes into the world smeared like a long-distance swimmer with a layer of grease. ... known to scientists as the Vernix caseosa, which is Latin for 'cheesy varnish'". In 2005, the BBC Radio 4 series "Scars of Evolution" <ref>{{cite web|last1=Attenborough|first1=Sir David|title=Scars of Evolution|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/scarsofevolution.shtml|website=BBC|publisher=BBC|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref>, presented by Sir David Attenborough, addressed the issue by setting up a testable hypothesis: "If vernix, as suggested by Elaine Morgan, is an adaptation to entering the water at birth or immediately after, then it should not be unique to humans, as extensively reported in the scientific literature <ref>{{cite web|last1=Singh|first1=Gurcharan|title=Unraveling the mystery of vernix caseosa.|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763724/|website=National Library of Medicine|publisher=National Institutes of Health|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref>, but vernix will also be found in other animals that enter the water soon after being born."
A repeated complaint against the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis was that it offered no testable hypotheses. In 'The Descent of the Child' (1994) Elaine Morgan noted that, "Almost every human baby comes into the world smeared like a long-distance swimmer with a layer of grease. ... known to scientists as the Vernix caseosa, which is Latin for 'cheesy varnish'". In 2005, the BBC Radio 4 series "Scars of Evolution" <ref>{{cite web|last1=Attenborough|first1=Sir David|title=Scars of Evolution|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/scarsofevolution.shtml|website=BBC|publisher=BBC|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref>, presented by Sir David Attenborough, addressed the issue by setting up a testable hypothesis: "If vernix, as suggested by Elaine Morgan, is an adaptation to entering the water at birth or immediately after, then it will not be unique to humans, as extensively reported in the scientific literature <ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoath|first1=Steven|title=Host defense proteins in vernix caseosa and amniotic fluid|url=http://www.academia.edu/4985139/Host_defense_proteins_in_vernix_caseosa_and_amniotic_fluid|website=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology|publisher=Elsevier|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Singh|first1=Gurcharan|title=Unraveling the mystery of vernix caseosa.|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763724/|website=National Library of Medicine|publisher=National Institutes of Health|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref>, but vernix will also be found in other animals that enter the water soon after being born."


The first suggestion that vernix might not be unique to humans came from Don Bowen at Dalhousie University, who observed that newborn Harbour Seals have a greasy coating, and unlike other seal species, are known to enter the water soon after birth. Tom Brenna at Cornell University, with the help
The first evidence that

Revision as of 16:57, 26 May 2018

Vernix caseosa - a testable hypothesis.

A repeated complaint against the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis was that it offered no testable hypotheses. In 'The Descent of the Child' (1994) Elaine Morgan noted that, "Almost every human baby comes into the world smeared like a long-distance swimmer with a layer of grease. ... known to scientists as the Vernix caseosa, which is Latin for 'cheesy varnish'". In 2005, the BBC Radio 4 series "Scars of Evolution" [1], presented by Sir David Attenborough, addressed the issue by setting up a testable hypothesis: "If vernix, as suggested by Elaine Morgan, is an adaptation to entering the water at birth or immediately after, then it will not be unique to humans, as extensively reported in the scientific literature [2][3], but vernix will also be found in other animals that enter the water soon after being born."

The first suggestion that vernix might not be unique to humans came from Don Bowen at Dalhousie University, who observed that newborn Harbour Seals have a greasy coating, and unlike other seal species, are known to enter the water soon after birth. Tom Brenna at Cornell University, with the help

  1. ^ Attenborough, Sir David. "Scars of Evolution". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  2. ^ Hoath, Steven. "Host defense proteins in vernix caseosa and amniotic fluid". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Elsevier. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. ^ Singh, Gurcharan. "Unraveling the mystery of vernix caseosa". National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 26 May 2018.