Data from: Photos provide information on age, but not kinship, of Andean bear

Using photos of captive Andean bears of known age and pedigree, and photos
of wild Andean bear cubs <6 months old, we evaluated the degree to
which visual information may be used to estimate bears’ ages and assess
their kinship. We demonstrate that the ages of Andean bear cubs ≤6 months
old may be estimated from their size relative to their mothers with an
average error of <0.01 ± 13.2 days (SD; n = 14), and that ages of
adults ≥10 years old may be estimated from the proportion of their nose
that is pink with an average error of <0.01 ± 3.5 years (n = 41).
We also show that similarity among the bears’ natural markings, as
perceived by humans, is not associated with pedigree kinship among the
bears (R2 < 0.001, N = 1,043, p = 0.499). Thus, researchers may use
photos of wild Andean bears to estimate the ages of young cubs and older
adults, but not to infer their kinship. Given that camera trap photos are
one of the most readily available sources of information on large cryptic
mammals, we suggest that similar methods be tested for use in other poorly
understood species.