Dear Sabine and All,
The ossification of epiphyseal plates indicates relative, "terminus
ante quem" ages at death. Since the epiphyses of vertebrae (esp.
lumbar) are the last to fuse, the animal - in principle - may even
have been a young adult. The unfused atlas, however, is a good
indicator of the opposite.
As for estimating absolute ages (see Habermehl, Silver etc.) of
archaeological specimens, one must consider the more rapid
development of modern breeds, effects of intensive nutrition and
yes, castration, as well.
This makes ageing tricky, even in the case of the most common and
possibly best studied animal. Good luck: Laszlo
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