Abstract
A novel, simple, and objective method is presented for ageing roe deerCapreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758) evaluated on 471 lower jaws from roe deer of known age (351 with permanent premolars). It is based on tooth eruption patterns and presence/absence of wear characters in jaws from roe deer integrated in a scoring system. Permanent cheek teeth emerge in May–July in the year af ter birth, which enables precise age determination of individuals with deciduous premolars. For individuals with permanent cheek teeth, the method provides the correct age for all individ uals younger than 13 months and > 80% of all individuals between 13 and 24 months old. For older in dividuals the accuracy decreases, but decent accuracy is achieved to the age of 48 months. Males have higher wear rates than females corroborating recent documentation of sex-specific life history tactics in ungulates. The data originate from two separated Danish roe deer populations exposed to contrasting habitats, but no difference in wear rate is found between populations. Thus, previous concern about the validity of age determination methods based on tooth wear may have been overstated. The findings demonstrate that objective measures of tooth wear can provide the basis for age determination in ungulate species that are otherwise difficult to age.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitken R. J. 1975. Cementum layers and tooth wear as criteria for ageing roe deer. Journal of Zoology, London 175: 15–28.
Andersen J. 1953. Analysis of a danish roe deer population based upon the extermination of the total stock. Danish Review of Game Biology 2: 127–155.
Andersen R., Gaillard J. M., Liberg O. and San José C. 1998. Variation in life-history parameters in roe deer. [In: The European Roe Deer: The Biology of Success. R. Andersen, P. Duncan and J. D. C. Linnell eds]. Scandinavian University Press, Oslo: 285–307.
Andersen R., Gaillard J. M., Linnell J. D. C. and Duncan P. 2000. Factors affecting maternal care in an in come breeder, the European roe deer. Journal of Animal Ecology 69: 672–682.
Bertouille S. B. and de Crombrugghe S. A. 1995. Body mass and lower jaw development of the femalered deer as indices of habitat quality in the Ardennes. Acta Theriologica 40: 145–162.
Borg K. 1970. On mortality and reproduction of roe deer in Sweden during the period 1948–1969. Swedish Wildlife Research, Viltrevy 7: 121–149.
Brown W. A. B. and Chapman N. G. 1990. The dentition of fallow deer (Dama dama): a scoring scheme to assess age from wear of the permanent molariform teeth. Journal of Zoology, London 221: 659–682.
Brown W. A. B. and Chapman N. G. 1991. The dentition of red deer (Cervus elaphus): a scoring scheme to assess age from wear of the permanent molariform teeth. Journal of Zoology, Lon don 224: 519–536.
Cederlund G., Kjellander P. and St⇘lfelt F. 1992. Age determination of roe deer by tooth wear and ce men tum layers — tests with known age material. XXth Congress of the International Union of Game Biologists, Gödöllö, Hungary: 540-545.
Grue H. and Jensen B. 1979. Review of the formation of incremental lines in tooth cementum of terrestrial mammals. Danish Review of Game Biology 11: 1–48.
Hamlin K. L., Pac D. F., Sime C. A., DeSimone R. M. and Dusek G. L. 2000. Evaluating the accuracy of ages obtained by two methods for Montana ungulates. Journal of Wildlife Management 64: 441–449.
Hewison A. J. M., Vincent J. P., Angibault J. M., Delorme D., Van Laere G. and Gaillard J. M. 1999. Tests of estimation of age from tooth wear on roe deer of known age: variation within and among populations. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77: 58–67.
Høye T. T. and Forchhammer M. C. 2006. Early developed section of the jaw as index of prenatal growth conditions in adult roe deerCapreolus capreolus. Wildlife Biology 12: 59–64.
Kałuziński J. 1982. Dynamics and structure of a field roe deer population. Acta Theriologica 27: 385–408.
Kierdorf U. and Becher J. 1997. Mineralization and wear of mandibular first molars in red deer of known age. Journal of Zoology, London 241: 135–143.
Lockard G. R. 1972. Further studies of dental annuli for aging white-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 36: 46–55.
Loe L. E., Mysterud A., Langvatn R. and Stenseth N. C. 2003. Decelerating and sex-dependent tooth wear in Norwegian red deer. Oecologia 135: 346–353.
Moore N. P., Cahill J. P., Kelly P. F. and Hayden T. J. 1995. An assessment of five methods of age determination in an enclosed population of fallow deer. Biology and Environment 95B: 27–34.
Morris P. 1972. A review of mammalian age determination methods. Mammal Review 2: 69–103.
Pettorelli N., Gaillard J. M., Van Laere G., Duncan P., Kjellander P., Liberg O., Delorme D. and Maillard D. 2002. Variations in adult body mass in roe deer: the effects of population density at birth and of habitat quality. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269: 747–753.
Quimby D. C. and Gaab J. E. 1957. Mandibular dentition as an age indicator in Rocky Mountain elk. Journal of Wildlife Management 21: 435–451.
Quinn G. P. and Keough M. J. 2002. Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1–537.
Reimers E. and Nordby Ø. 1968. Relationship between age and tooth cementum layers in norwegian reindeer. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 957–961.
Robinette W. L., Jones D. A., Rogers G. and Gashwiler J. S. 1957. Notes on tooth development and wear for Rocky Mountain mule deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 21: 134–153.
Sergeant D. E. and Pimlott D. H. 1959. Age determination in moose from sectioned incisor teeth. Journal of Wildlife Management 23: 315–321.
Skogland T. 1988. Tooth wear by food limitation and its life history consequences in wild reindeer. Oikos 51: 238–242.
Strandgaard H. 1972a. An investigation of corpora lutae, embryonic development, and time of birth of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Denmark. Danish Review of Game Biology 6: 1–22.
Strandgaard H. 1972b. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population at Kalø and the factors regulating its size. Danish Review of Game Biology 7: 1–205.
Strandgaard H. 1999. [The Borris roe deer]. Limosa, Hornslet: 1–88. [In Dan ish]
Tønsberg M., Strandgaard H. and Olsen E. E. 1972. Borris [Moor target range and na ture area]. Hærens ⇘rsskrift: 1-8. [In Danish]
Van Deelen T. R., Hollis K. M., Anchor C. and Etter D. R. 2000. Sex affects age determination and wear of molariform teeth in white-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 64: 1076–1083.
Venables W. N. and Ripley B. D. 2002. Modern applied statistics with S. 4th ed. Springer, New York Berlin Heidelberg: 1–495.
Vincent J. P., Angibault J. M., Bideau E. and Gaillard J. M. 1994. Problem of age-determination — overlooked source of error in vertical life table calculations. Mammalia 58: 293–299. [In French with Eng lish sum mary]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Associate Editor was Karol Zub.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Høye, T.T. Age determination in roe deer — a new approach to tooth wear evaluated on known age in dividuals. Acta Theriol 51, 205–214 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192672
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192672