Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age

Sina Baier-Stegmaier; Carsten Gundlach; Mariann Chriél; Mette Sif Hansen; Christina Vedel-Smith; Charlotte Vikkelsø Hansen; Daniel Klingberg Johansson; Louise Birgitte Henriksen; Magnus Wahlberg; Charlotte Bie Thøstesen; Aage Kristian Olsen Alstrup; Kristian Murphy Gregersen; Cino Pertoldi; Sussie Pagh

doi:10.3390/ani13111783

Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age

Sina Baier-Stegmaier, Carsten Gundlach, Mariann Chriél, Mette Sif Hansen, Christina Vedel-Smith, Charlotte Vikkelsø Hansen, Daniel Klingberg Johansson, Louise Birgitte Henriksen, Magnus Wahlberg, Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, Aage Kristian Olsen Alstrup, Kristian Murphy Gregersen, Cino Pertoldi, Sussie Pagh^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Abstract

Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti. Teeth from 13 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 2 American mink (Neogale vison), and 2 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) of known age were studied using µ-CT. The number of visible dental growth layers in the µ-CT were highly correlated with true age for all three species (R² = 96%, p < 0.001). In addition, the Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the age of individuals and visible dental layers represented in 2D slices of the 3D µ-CT images. The true age of individuals was on average 0.3 (±0.6 SD) years higher than the age interpreted by the µ-CT image, and there was a 95% agreement between the true age and the age interpreted from visible dental layers in the µ-CT.

Original language	English
Article number	1783
Journal	Animals
Volume	13
Issue number	11
Number of pages	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111783
Publication status	Published - 2023

Keywords

American mink
Carnivore age
Computed tomography
Harbor porpoise
Micro-CT
Museum collections
Neogale vison
Phocoena phocoena
Red fox
Toothed whale age
Vulpes vulpes
X-ray
µ-CT

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Baier-Stegmaier, S., Gundlach, C., Chriél, M., Hansen, M. S., Vedel-Smith, C., Hansen, C. V., Johansson, D. K., Henriksen, L. B., Wahlberg, M., Thøstesen, C. B., Alstrup, A. K. O., Gregersen, K. M., Pertoldi, C., & Pagh, S. (2023). Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age. Animals, 13(11), Article 1783. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111783

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title = "Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age",

abstract = "Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti. Teeth from 13 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 2 American mink (Neogale vison), and 2 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) of known age were studied using µ-CT. The number of visible dental growth layers in the µ-CT were highly correlated with true age for all three species (R2 = 96%, p < 0.001). In addition, the Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the age of individuals and visible dental layers represented in 2D slices of the 3D µ-CT images. The true age of individuals was on average 0.3 (±0.6 SD) years higher than the age interpreted by the µ-CT image, and there was a 95% agreement between the true age and the age interpreted from visible dental layers in the µ-CT.",

keywords = "American mink, Carnivore age, Computed tomography, Harbor porpoise, Micro-CT, Museum collections, Neogale vison, Phocoena phocoena, Red fox, Toothed whale age, Vulpes vulpes, X-ray, µ-CT",

author = "Sina Baier-Stegmaier and Carsten Gundlach and Mariann Chri{\'e}l and Hansen, {Mette Sif} and Christina Vedel-Smith and Hansen, {Charlotte Vikkels{\o}} and Johansson, {Daniel Klingberg} and Henriksen, {Louise Birgitte} and Magnus Wahlberg and Th{\o}stesen, {Charlotte Bie} and Alstrup, {Aage Kristian Olsen} and Gregersen, {Kristian Murphy} and Cino Pertoldi and Sussie Pagh",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.3390/ani13111783",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Animals",

issn = "2076-2615",

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Baier-Stegmaier, S , Gundlach, C, Chriél, M, Hansen, MS, Vedel-Smith, C, Hansen, CV, Johansson, DK, Henriksen, LB, Wahlberg, M, Thøstesen, CB, Alstrup, AKO, Gregersen, KM, Pertoldi, C & Pagh, S 2023, 'Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age', Animals, vol. 13, no. 11, 1783. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111783

TY - JOUR

T1 - Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age

AU - Baier-Stegmaier, Sina

AU - Gundlach, Carsten

AU - Chriél, Mariann

AU - Hansen, Mette Sif

AU - Vedel-Smith, Christina

AU - Hansen, Charlotte Vikkelsø

AU - Johansson, Daniel Klingberg

AU - Henriksen, Louise Birgitte

AU - Wahlberg, Magnus

AU - Thøstesen, Charlotte Bie

AU - Alstrup, Aage Kristian Olsen

AU - Gregersen, Kristian Murphy

AU - Pertoldi, Cino

AU - Pagh, Sussie

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti. Teeth from 13 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 2 American mink (Neogale vison), and 2 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) of known age were studied using µ-CT. The number of visible dental growth layers in the µ-CT were highly correlated with true age for all three species (R2 = 96%, p < 0.001). In addition, the Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the age of individuals and visible dental layers represented in 2D slices of the 3D µ-CT images. The true age of individuals was on average 0.3 (±0.6 SD) years higher than the age interpreted by the µ-CT image, and there was a 95% agreement between the true age and the age interpreted from visible dental layers in the µ-CT.

AB - Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti. Teeth from 13 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 2 American mink (Neogale vison), and 2 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) of known age were studied using µ-CT. The number of visible dental growth layers in the µ-CT were highly correlated with true age for all three species (R2 = 96%, p < 0.001). In addition, the Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the age of individuals and visible dental layers represented in 2D slices of the 3D µ-CT images. The true age of individuals was on average 0.3 (±0.6 SD) years higher than the age interpreted by the µ-CT image, and there was a 95% agreement between the true age and the age interpreted from visible dental layers in the µ-CT.

KW - American mink

KW - Carnivore age

KW - Computed tomography

KW - Harbor porpoise

KW - Micro-CT

KW - Museum collections

KW - Neogale vison

KW - Phocoena phocoena

KW - Red fox

KW - Toothed whale age

KW - Vulpes vulpes

KW - X-ray

KW - µ-CT

U2 - 10.3390/ani13111783

DO - 10.3390/ani13111783

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37889740

AN - SCOPUS:85161906482

SN - 2076-2615

VL - 13

JO - Animals

JF - Animals

IS - 11

M1 - 1783

ER -

Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age

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