关键词: 年龄鉴定, 大熊猫, 年龄组

Abstract: This paper reports the age determination methods for giant panda. The results are as follows:Having studied the incisor sections of known-age panda specimens,we find their age in years corresponds to the number of cementum annuli. The true age of a panda can be obtained by adding one to the number of cementum annuli,as the incisors drop away after they are one-year-old.Having studied the wear of molars we find the older the panda is, the more the molars wear. According to the wear of molars and skull growth we can divide the panda into six age classes: 0-2 years old, 3-4,5-9,10-14,15-19 and 20-26. It's more convenient to determine approximate age in the field by age classes without sectioning the incisors.

Key words: Age determination, Giant panda, Age group