Determining Age of Coyotes by Tooth Cementum Layers

Knowlton, Frederick F.; Linhart, Samuel B.

doi:10.2307/3798334

Cited by 133 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Coyotes were immobilized (Cornely 1979) for handling, then weighed, sexed and radiocollared. We removed the first vestigial pre-molar from the lower jaw for aging by counting the cementum annuli (Linhart & Knowlton 1967). Pups were captured at the den when 10-12 weeks old, ear-tagged, and surgically implanted with an intra-peritoneal transmitter.…”

Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social and nutritional factors influencing the dispersal of resident coyotes

1996

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Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social and nutritional factors influencing the dispersal of resident coyotes

1996

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“…The six live-captured animals were classed as more than 13 months old adult based on general tooth-wear patterns examined in the field (Bowen 1982;Landon et al 1998). Other specimens were aged by Matson's Laboratory, Inc., Milltown, Montana, using cementum layer analysis of a lower canine tooth (Linhart and Knowlton 1967;Landon et al 1998). Specimens at least one year old were considered adults; however, the actual minimum age was approximately 20 months since specimens were killed after December.…”

Section: Body and Skull Morphology Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape Influence on Canis Morphological and Ecological Variation in a Coyote-Wolf C. lupus × latrans Hybrid Zone, Southeastern Ontario

Sears

Theberge

et al. 2003

Can Field Nat

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. 2003. Landscape influence on Canis morphological and ecological variation in a Coyote-Wolf C. lupus × latrans hybrid zone, southeastern Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 117(4): 591-600.The ecology of Coyote-Wolf (Canis latrans × C. lupus) hybrids has never fully been typified. We studied morphological and ecological variation in Canis within a region of Coyote-Wolf hybridization in southeastern Ontario. We assessed Canis morphology from standard body measurements and ten skull measurements of adult specimens and found that Canis in this region are morphologically intermediate between Algonquin Provincial Park Wolves (C. lupus lycaon) and Coyotes, indicating a latrans × lycaon hybrid origin; however, there is a closer morphological affinity to latrans than lycaon. Analysis of 846 scats indicated dietary habits also intermediate between lycaon and Coyotes. We used a geographic information system (GIS) to assess spatial landscape features (road density, land cover and fragmentation) for six study sites representing three landscape types. We found noticeable variation in Canis morphology and diet in different landscape types. In general, canids from landscape type A (lowest road density, more total forest cover, less fragmentation) displayed more Wolf-like body morphology and consumed a greater proportion of larger prey (Beaver [Castor canadensis] and White-tailed Deer [Odocoileus virginianus]). In comparison, canids from landscape types B and C (higher road density and/or less total forest cover, more fragmentation) were generally more Coyote-like in body and skull morphology and made greater use of medium to small-sized prey (Groundhog [Marmota monax], Muskrat [Ondatra zibethicus] and lagomorphs). These landscape trends in Canis types suggest selection against Wolf-like traits in fragmented forests with high road density. The range of lycaon southeast of Algonquin Provincial Park appears to be limited primarily due to human access and consequent exploitation. We suggest that road density is the best landscape indicator of Canis types in this region of sympatric, hybridizing and unprotected Canis populations.

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“…However, the drawbacks of tooth wear and tooth color are that they might be dependent upon diet and degree of mastication (Currier 1979), and they are difficult to standardize and somewhat subjective (Linhart and Knowlton 1967;Laundré et al 2000). Tooth eruption may be used to categorize into broad age classes (Smuts et al 1978), and cementum annuli and the width of the pulp chamber require tooth extraction and analysis in a lab, which complicates its use under field conditions (Currier 1979) while presenting ethical concerns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Methods to age carnivores either rely on skull measurements or fusion of cranial sutures (Schweikher 1930;Smuts et al 1978;Gay and Best 1996), or analysis of dental characteristics, including tooth wear (e.g., Smuts et al 1978;Ashman et al 1983;Stander 1997), tooth color (Shaw 1986), tooth eruption (Linhart and Knowlton 1967;Smuts et al 1978;Van Horn et al 2003), cementum annuli (e.g., Laws 1952;Smuts et al 1978;Roulichová and Anděra 2007), width of the pulp chamber (e.g., Smuts et al 1978;Landon et al 1998), and gum-line recession (Currier 1979;Laundré et al 2000). However, the drawbacks of tooth wear and tooth color are that they might be dependent upon diet and degree of mastication (Currier 1979), and they are difficult to standardize and somewhat subjective (Linhart and Knowlton 1967;Laundré et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of gum-line recession as a reliable technique to age tigers

Fàbregas

Narro

2014

Eur J Wildl Res

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Like other members of the Panthera genus, tigers are threatened throughout their range. Given their conservation status research focused on their population dynamics in the wild is needed, including population growth, lifespan, and breeding success, which requires reliable estimates of age. Current techniques to estimate age in tigers are either not reliable and/or difficult to apply in the field. Gum-line recession accurately estimates age for mountain lions, but has never been tested for tigers. The goal of this study was to determine whether gum-line recession of the upper canine teeth is a reliable indicator of age in tigers and if so, to define the equation that enables age estimation. We measured gum-line recession in 12 individuals of known ages and performed linear regression analysis to investigate the validity of this technique for tigers. We found a strong relationship between gum-line recession and age, where the model provided reliable age estimates for animals within 1-year age classes in 10 out of 12 tigers measured, providing increased accuracy over current methods.

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Determining Age of Coyotes by Tooth Cementum Layers

Cited by 133 publications

References 5 publications

Social and nutritional factors influencing the dispersal of resident coyotes

Social and nutritional factors influencing the dispersal of resident coyotes

Landscape Influence on <em>Canis</em> Morphological and Ecological Variation in a Coyote-Wolf <em>C. lupus</em> × <em>latrans</em> Hybrid Zone, Southeastern Ontario

Validation of gum-line recession as a reliable technique to age tigers

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