Age and growth analyses for the endangered belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska Marine Mammal Science

Daniel J. Vos, Kim E. W. Shelden, Nancy A. Friday, and Barbara A. Mahoney combined beluga age estimates, from the teeth of hunted and stranded belugas during the period 1992–2001, with additional teeth collected up to June 2015. The earlier age estimates were determined by reading growth layer groups (GLGs) in the thin sections of teeth. The 2015 teeth results validated the number of GLGs deposited in the tooth dentine each year. The study compared ages obtained from each mandible and from the anterior to the posterior of the mandible to determine the “best” tooth for aging. The study then compared length-at-age models for CIBs.