Aging Bison by the Incremental Cementum Growth Layers in Teeth

Aging mammals by the cementum-annuli method to count incremental growth layers in the roots of teeth is a technique that many wildlife managers use to monitor the demographic structure of populations. However, managers of bison (Bison bison) herds have not been able to use this aging technique, because a correlation between the cementum age and the known age of an animal has never been established. This paper presents the results of a study designed to fill that void and establish whether bison can be aged accurately by the number of incremental growth bands present in the roots of their teeth. The results indicate bison do produce regular cementum annuli in the roots of teeth that correspond accurately with age.