L’art de la squelettochronologie : outils et limites chez les tortues marines

Skeletochronology is the study of periodic bone growth in vertebrates, and how the absolute age of individuals can be obtained. This method, similar to dendrochronology, which studies annual rings in woody plants, has been applied to reptiles and amphibians for around a hundred years. Its use in sea turtles is more recent and has provided answers to unanswered questions such as the age of individuals, their growth rate or their age at maturity. A critical analysis of the scientific literature is carried out. Many uncertainties remain as to the real capacity of this method to provide an absolute age for individuals of the seven species of sea turtles. Avenues for improvement are suggested, but certain difficulties will undoubtedly continue to hamper the widespread use of this method.