While strolling along the Wonderopolis shore, we overheard an intriguing conversation between a beaver and a platypus:
Beaver: Hey Pete! Did you know it’s Ollie’s birthday today?
Platypus: No way, Ben! You mean Ollie the octopus? We should throw him a surprise birthday party!
Beaver: That’s exactly what I was thinking! We can get him a cake and some balloons.
Platypus: Alright! You can get the cake and I’ll handle the balloons and candles. By the way, how old is Ollie?
Beaver: Um…I don’t know. I thought you would know.
Platypus: How would I know? How do you even determine the age of an octopus?
Unfortunately, we had errands to run, so we didn’t get to hear the rest of their conversation. We hope they were able to figure out how many candles to put on Ollie’s cake. However, their conversation did make us wonder. How can we determine the age of animals?
After all, it’s not like we can simply ask them. Go ahead, ask your dog or cat how old they are. We highly doubt they will meow or bark a specific number of times to provide an answer.
Does it really matter if we know the age of animals? To many scientists, it certainly does. When studying animal populations, it is often crucial to know the exact number of animals and their ages.
This information helps scientists identify thriving species and those that require protection from becoming endangered or extinct. While it may be easy to keep track of a beloved pet’s age, determining the age of a wild animal can be challenging.
Unfortunately, there is no universal method that scientists can apply to all animals. What works for one animal may not work at all for another. However, scientists have developed several methods over time that are effective for certain animals.
For instance, zoologists may use X-rays to examine the internal skeletal structures of certain animals. These structures often contain growth markers that can provide an approximate age.
For many animals, the teeth offer visual clues that can assist experts in determining their age. In some species, adult teeth do not appear until a specific age. Additionally, worn down and decayed teeth can indicate advanced age.
Hair, fur, and skin can also provide visual indicators of age. Like humans, certain animals develop wrinkly skin and gray hair or fur as they age. If you have an older dog, you may have noticed that its muzzle becomes grayer over time.
The eyes and ears can also aid in determining an animal’s age. As animals grow older, their hearing often declines, and their eyesight may deteriorate. For example, examining a dog’s eyes may reveal cloudiness that is common in advanced age.
Aging marine animals can be particularly challenging. Fish, for instance, are typically aged by examining tiny ear bones called otoliths. Otoliths contain growth rings similar to those found in trees. Unfortunately, examining these bones requires the fish to be deceased! Good luck determining the age of a live fish!
Scientists have made advancements in determining the age of animals. Recently, they discovered that scraping the skin of humpback whales and examining their DNA can reveal their age. However, determining the age of an octopus can be challenging. Since octopuses have no bones, scientists often estimate their age based on their size. Unfortunately, body size can vary due to various factors. Thankfully, Mexican researchers have found that the stylet, a harder part of the octopus’s mantel, can be used to reliably estimate its age.
If you want to learn more about fascinating animals, here are some fun activities you can try:
– Test your ability to guess someone’s age by observing people in a public place, like a high school sporting event or a shopping mall, with the help of an adult. Try to guess their age as they pass by. Is it as easy as it sounds?
– Visit a local animal shelter, veterinarian’s office, or pet store and ask an expert to introduce you to different animals. Based on what you’ve learned about determining age, make guesses about the ages of the animals. How accurate are your guesses? Do you think you might want to work with animals in the future?
– If you have a family pet, like a dog or cat, gather all the photos you’ve taken of them over the years. Arrange the photos in chronological order from oldest to most recent. Observe how your pet has changed over time. What differences do you notice in the photos? Draw a picture of what you think your pet will look like in the future, whether it’s in one, two, or five years.
Here are some sources for further reading on the topic of animal aging:
– http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130730-aging-animals-fish-cats-science-primate-oldest-animal-clam/
– https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/04/05/how-old-this-whale-new-way-tell/WlcVREZ3md1ENzfe1ttmHP/story.html
– http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/how-to-tell-how-old-dog.htm
– https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/octopus-chronicles/hey-how-old-is-that-octopus/
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