The detection of this fatty acid in cerebrospinal fluid was proposed as a possibility for rapid and specific diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. Ruminants produced a huge variety of C10-C18 acids with one to four branched methyl groups, they were detected in lamb adipose tissue. Multimethyl branched acids are also dominant in the uropygial waxes of the birds preen gland. Curiously, they were also identified in the lipid depot in the head of marine animals, location involved in their echo-locating abilities. Others have isoprenoid structures, thus coming from the diterpene phytol derived from chlorophyll and not by the de novo pathway.
Phytanic acid derives from the corresponding alcohol, phytol, and is oxidized into pristanic acid .
It has been suggested that these compounds have originated from a novel bacteria in symbiosis with the sponge.