Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Department
Animal and Nutritional Sciences
Committee Chair
Hillar Klandorf.
Abstract
The phenomenon of aging is progressive, irreversible and universal to all living things. One unavoidable outcome of aging is the modification of proteins by sugars, which, through a non-enzymatic process, can lead to the formation of crosslinked compounds termed advanced glycation endproducts. One such endproduct, pentosidine (Ps), is an indicator, or biomarker, of biological age. Because most birds have no reliable markers of age beyond adulthood, this investigation examines the accumulation of Ps as an estimator of chronological age in birds. The first study herein examines interspecies comparison of Ps accumulation in Ruffed grouse and Double-crested cormorants. The second investigates the stability of Ps in museum prepared study skins. Accurate age information can contribute to our understanding of population demographics, could aid species recovery programs, and provide insights into longevity now understood entirely from banding programs and captive birds.
Recommended Citation
Fallon, Jesse A., "Pentosidine as a biomarker for age in birds and museum-prepared study skins" (2004). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2007.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2007