Researchers at Lethbridge Polytechnic’s wildlife analytics lab will leverage artificial intelligence to help speed up the process of aging wildlife specimens. The technology reads growth layers in teeth like rings on a tree. The polytechnic is starting out studying mule deer thanks to their large sample size. Once the AI is fully trained, it can help speed up research to get a better understanding of population sizes. “We have some course indicators like antler morphology or body size or tooth wear in the field,” said Wildlife Analytics Lab lead Everett Hanna. “This allows us to get that level of precision that’s required to really understand how the population will put out young, survive, sustain, etc.” AI funding Lethbridge Polytechnic has received just over $130,000 for its AI project. The funding comes from the Alberta minister’s special license auction program and the special license resident draw grants. That money will support the first year of the project. “We’re really excited here at the Wildlife Analytics Lab to announce this funding,” said Hanna. It isn’t just researchers getting to experiment with AI, either. Current students hired on as lab techs are able to see this technology in action. “It’s nice knowing that there is support, but then also future opportunities for more students, either myself or others, both to continue doing the regular work in the lab. But also with this AI project, we’re going to need people to help go through all of the data,” said student technician Kayla Nicholson. Lethbridge Polytechnic is home to Canada’s only publicly accessible wildlife tooth aging lab. Utilizing new methods and technologies like AI could mean a real impact for conservation in Alberta for years to come, says arts and sciences dean of business Kevin Smith. “I think we’re always looking at the applied research side of things. So to actually have something the industry wants or the community wants is actually very good for us and very good for the research rate,” Smith said.
