“How old is a polar bear? A mule deer? A caribou? The answer is more than trivia—knowing the age of animals unlocks key insights into population health, survival, and reproduction. Yet, for wildlife managers and conservationists, obtaining reliable age data is often a challenge.

The Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL) at Lethbridge Polytechnic specialises in cementum analysis, a method of aging animals through microscopic growth layers in their teeth. This technique has been applied to species ranging from mule deer and elk to polar bears and caribou, helping guide both conservation and harvest management across Canada.

In this presentation, Dr. Everett Hanna, PBiol, CWB®, Scientific Lead of the WAL, will introduce the lab, explain how tooth aging works, and highlight how WAL provides student training and builds connections between hunters, biologists, and communities. Looking ahead, he will share how the lab is pioneering artificial intelligence to automate cementum analysis as part of an international collaboration—an innovation that promises faster, more consistent, and more accessible wildlife data than ever before.

If a single tooth can reveal an animal’s life story, what new stories might we uncover when this process is scaled up with AI?"