As per the news report in July 2020, a research study led by researchers from the University of California at San Diego, on how to calculate a dog’s age in ‘human years’, was published in journal Cell Systems. As dogs have a life span shorter than humans. the study has come up with a formula and a graph to determine dog’s age in ‘human years’. A four-year dog, for example, is at a far later stage of its life than a four-year-old child. Dogs live an average of 12 years, compared to five times in humans. The new study shows that the traditional one-to-seven ratio is wrong, as the new genetic evidence indicates that puppies age faster than their old counterparts. For example, a 6-year-old dog is human equivalent of about 60 years old.
Key takeaways of the Study
Some of the key takeaways of the study are as follows:
The new research is based on epigenetics, which found the comparison between human years and dog years is not perfectly linear.
As per the researchers, epigenetic clock is accurate for humans and mice as well as Labrador retrievers (dog breed used in the study) and so it can be applied to all dog breeds.
The study analysed patterns in blood samples from 150 Labrador retrievers which were analysed. However, using a single breed acted as a limitation because different breeds have different life spans; some breeds live longer than others.
New calculation is based on molecular changes in the human genome and dog genome over time. The researchers analysed patterns over time in a bio-chemical process, known as methylation, in the genome. The new research provides a new ‘epigenetic clock’, which determines the age of a cell, tissue or organism.
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New Formula of Calculating Dog’s Age in ‘Human Years’
The dog’s age is converted into a natural logarithm. That log is multiplied by 16 and then 31 is added for a total. For example, if a dog is 14 years old, the natural log of 14 is 2.6390, multiplied by 16 is equal to 42.224. Then 31 is added to it, and it becomes 73.2.
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