Tracey and Lyle: Age validation, growth modeling, and mortality estimates for Latns lineata 



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supports the hypothesis that a more complex growth 

 model was required for striped trumpeter. 



The VBGF TP was sensitive to the value age at trans- 

 ference. A profile of negative log likelihood for a range of 

 age-at-transference values (Fig. 8) assisted in determin- 

 ing the correct absolute minima. The negative log-like- 

 lihood profile revealed a low minima range across age 

 at transference from 3.5 to 4.6 years, which, however, 



converged to a lowest value at age 4.4 years. Fitting the 

 PDF to the growth curve substantially smoothed the 

 point of transition, producing a curve that represented 

 the data well. Setting an arbitrary standard devia- 

 tion of 1.0 around the age at transference provided a 

 normally distributed two-tailed range at transference 

 (90 percent confidence adjusted for bias) from 1.3 to 

 7.8 years. 



