sign in sign up
<<
Home , Tooth

& TOOTH AGING at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Forensics and Fish Health Laboratory

WHAT IS TOOTH AGING? WHY DO YOU AGE TEETH? CAN YOU AGE MY ?

Tooth aging is process of looking Tooth aging provides important data You can get your animal aged for a at the rings (also known as annuli) about the demographics of Wyoming’s fee even if you harvest it in another within teeth to determine the age of big game herds for management as state. Contact the Wyoming Game an animal with reasonable accuracy. A well as satisfying the curiosity of and Fish Wildlife Forensic and Fish lab technician will go through several hunters who enjoy learning the age of Health Laboratory at 307-766-5616 for steps to prepare a tooth for aging. their harvested animal. additional information.

TOOTH AGING FACTS TOOTH AGING PROCESS

Crown

Root Teeth are received The layers of mainly from hunters produce rings similar and biologists and to those in trees. A analyzed using the darker stained ring is STEP 1 STEP 2 cementum annuli aging created during winter Only the root is used in the The tooth is softened in a method. It observes when is scarce. tooth-aging process, so the solution of hydrochloric the yearly addition of Lightly stained rings are tooth is cleaned and acid to decalsify it before cementum, which is formed during spring is cut off. cutting it in half. a calcified substance and summer when there deposited on the is less food stress on roots of teeth in many the animal. .

STEP 3 STEP 4 The teeth are then put in The tooth is sectioned, or A unique trait in aging The lab dates a block of parafin (wax) to sliced, into very thin layers black bears is that the approximately 2,000 provide for a flat cutting and placed on a slide. approximate age of a to 3,000 teeth samples surface. sow can be determined from 11 species each each year she gives year. birth to cubs.

STEP 5 STEP 6 , elk and deer The lab ages the The tooth is stained a Looking through a comprise the majority first for many purple color to highlight the microscope connected to a of the teeth sent to the species, but use the annuli, which are similar to computer, a lab technician lab for aging. for mountain tree rings. counts the annuli to lion and blackbear and determine the animal’s age. the canine for bobcat.