A new method for determining the age of dogs in human years is named

Scientists from the United States have created a new methodology that accurately determines the age of dogs in human years.

The method is based on the assessment of the number of certain marks on animal DNA, EurekAlert reports.

Traditionally, a dog's age is converted to human age by multiplying the number of years of the animal by 7. However, as it turned out, this method does not make sense.

In the new work, biologists relied on epigenetic marks, the molecules responsible for gene readability. Their number increases as the body ages.

For the study, the researchers took samples of more than 100 dogs (mostly Labrador retrievers) and studied their marks.

According to biologists, dogs grow and mature very quickly in their first 4 years of life. Closer to the age of 5, they have the number of epigenetic marks that people accumulate only at the age of 50.

Then the aging process slows down, and at the age of 14, a dog corresponds to a 70-75-year-old person.