Accuracy and Precision of Estimating Age of
Gray Wolves by Tooth Wear
Management Implications
Our descriptions of tooth wear should allow future wolf researchers to improve their accuracy and precision in estimating age. We recommend that 2 or more readers work together to reach a consensus on age estimates when possible. Estimates of age based on tooth wear, although not as precise as counts of cementum annuli, are suitable for most studies of population dynamics, social organization, systematics, dispersal, and interactions with prey, including livestock depredations. Age estimates from tooth wear may also be helpful for evaluating the suitability of individual wolves for restoration programs.
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