Hillar Klandorf

Pentosidine Level Comparison of Breast and Patagial Skin in Monk Parakeets and Double-crested Cormorants

Using pentosidine levels in bird skin to determine how old they are is a relatively new method of aging. Up until now, previous studies have focused on analyzing skin from the breast. Current research is being done on analyzing patagium skin samples so that wild birds can be sampled without causing much harm to them. Fallon et al. (2006) suggested that the level of pentosidine is different in various locations of a bird's body. Forty milligram skin samples from the breast and patagium of 25 monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) and 25 double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were...