In the summer of 1955, the Arizona Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit began a study of the tooth-replacement pattern of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) for the purpose of developing a technique for determining the age structure of the population. We hoped to be able, through this technique, to classify, according to age, the animals killed by hunters and also to determine the age of wild animals that are trapped for tagging studies. The present report deals only with the eruption and replacement of teeth. Studies of tooth wear in wild peccaries in the field are not yet complete. This study was carried on by the senior author from June 1955 until August 1956. The junior author with the help of numerous students has continued the study to the present. We wish to thank E. L. Cockrum and C. R. Hungerford of the University of Arizona for reading the manuscript and offering suggestions. We are grateful to J. B. Jokerst for preparing the drawing for Fig. I and to C. R. Hungerford and the following students for field assistance: B. J. Neal, T. A. Eddy, J. P. McCraren, H. G. Shaw, P. F. Senteney, L. P. McCraren, T. B. Knopp, R. D. Johnson, J. M. Welch, H. D. Irby, P. S. Minnamon, and G. I. Day. Thanks are also due to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and especially to W. H. Woodin III, M. Koth, L. W. Walker, and H. Gras who kept animals for us at various times and gave us animals for study. L. S. Packard, A. 0. Kester, R. J. Kirkpatrick, and the late G. W. Peterson, game rangers of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, brought us animals which they had confiscated. We wish also to thank the Phoenix Zoological Gardens for permission to examine their growing animals which were later donated to the Unit.
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Kirkpatrick et al. (1962) studied this question.