On Wednesday, Lethbridge College unveiled a groundbreaking lab dedicated to studying wildlife teeth, making it the first lab of its kind in Canada.
Dr. Everett Hanna, an Environmental Sciences instructor at Lethbridge College, explained that the lab, known as the Wildlife Analytics Lab, will initially focus on cementum analysis. Cementum analysis involves examining the dental cementum, which can provide valuable information about the age of animals.
Cementum, similar to cement, serves as a bonding material that holds teeth in place. Inside the cementum, there are annuli, which are ring-like structures and spaces comparable to the growth rings found in tree trunks.
As Hanna explained, “Just like in a tree where we have growth rings, the same principles apply. Unfortunately, with a tooth, you need to go through quite an elaborate chemical process to access these embedded annuli within the teeth roots.”
The lab will provide age estimates for wildlife mammals through its fee-for-service program. This data is essential for various purposes such as harvest allocation in hunting, disease management, and understanding reproductive history.
According to Hanna, analyzing the annuli in species like black bears can reveal important information about their reproductive patterns. “When females have young cubs and they’re lactating, the annuli are closer together, so you can clearly see years when they have young and years when they don’t,” he said.
The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) played a crucial role in funding this lab. They provided $145,000 from their Wildlife Management Fund to purchase equipment from Leica and hire student lab technicians and a dedicated lab technician.
“That money was instrumental, it’s the reason we are where we are here today,” Hanna acknowledged.
Corey Jarvis, president of APOS, emphasized the importance of this lab for wildlife management in Alberta. “We need to know and analyze, and Alberta needs that data before they can make good wildlife management decisions,” said Jarvis.
Previously, researchers had to obtain an export permit and ship wildlife parts to the United States for analysis, incurring costs and delays. Hanna believes that the Wildlife Analytics Lab will significantly expedite the analysis process, providing more timely results. He emphasized the benefits of the lab for various stakeholders involved.
Once the lab is fully operational, Hanna aims to analyze 4,000 to 5,000 teeth per year. Additionally, he envisions the lab developing processes to track migratory patterns of wildlife in the future.
“If we can enhance Canadian wildlife conservation through this contribution, train students, develop research opportunities, and grow this solution here in Lethbridge, I think those are all win-win-wins,” concluded Hanna.
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