ToolsConductScience tool
Mouse Colony ManagementFree in-browser calculator

Mouse Age Converter.

Convert mouse age to human-equivalent age using Dutta & Sengupta (2016) piecewise scaling. Strain-specific lifespan factors, life-stage classification, and a one-click CSV export for methods sections.

PrivateData stays in your browser
LiveNo sign-up required
Validated2026-04-06
CitableMethods and citation included

Calculator

Results update in place

Try it out

Load example mouse age converter data to see the full workflow

Need cross-species comparison? Try the universal Animal Age Converter

Mouse Age

Conversion

Mouse age
126 d
18.0 wk · 4.1 mo
Human-equivalent
28 human years
Dutta & Sengupta (2016)
Life stage
Young adult (6 wk–6 mo)
Strain C57BL/6J
Lifespan position
16%
of strain median

Position on Strain Lifespan

NeonatalPre-weaningJuvenileYoung adultMature adultMiddle-agedSenescentMedian

When to use

  • Labeling cohort age in human-equivalent terms for translational papers
  • Choosing the right developmental window for a juvenile or adolescent study
  • Comparing aging-study cohorts across labs that use different age conventions
  • Justifying cohort age in IACUC and grant applications
  • Communicating cohort age to clinical collaborators or PR/comms teams

Do not use for

  • As a biological-age estimate — use epigenetic clocks (Horvath, GrimAge) for that
  • For non-mouse species — use the Lab Animal Age Converter for rat and zebrafish
  • For genetically-modified strains with altered lifespan (e.g. progeroid models) — the published scaling does not apply

Days 1–42 are non-linear, even by mouse standards

Mice complete sexual maturation by 6 weeks. The 150-day-per-day ratio reflects this compressed development — never linearly extrapolate from a single time point during this window.

Strain lifespan factors do not change human-age math

A 12-month BALB/cByJ mouse has the same human-equivalent age as a 12-month C57BL/6J mouse — the strain factor only adjusts where each mouse sits on its own lifespan curve, not the absolute human-age conversion.

Aging studies should report both age and human-equivalent

Reviewers increasingly expect the human-equivalent age in figure legends. The calculator gives you a one-click value to drop into Methods.

Beyond 36 months you are off-curve

No published scaling applies past ~36 months for B6, and strains with <24 month median lifespan plateau even earlier. The calculator flags this explicitly.

1

Method

Mouse age (days) is converted to human-equivalent days via a piecewise function: 150× from day 1 to 42, 45× from day 42 to 180, 30× from day 180 to 365, 25× from day 365 to 730, and 20× thereafter. Lifespan position = mouse_days / (median_B6_days ×\times strain_factor). Strain factors are taken from NIA Aging Mouse Phenotyping Center medians.

2

Validated

Last validated 2026-04-06. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.

3

How to cite

How to Cite

ConductScience Mouse Age Converter (v0.87.0). ConductScience, Inc. 2026. Available at: https://conductscience.com/tools/mouse-age-converter

Dutta S, Sengupta P. Men and mice: Relating their ages. Life Sciences. 2016;152:244-248.

Flurkey K, Currer JM, Harrison DE. Mouse models in aging research. In: The Mouse in Biomedical Research, 2nd ed. Academic Press; 2007.

Dutta & Sengupta (2016) Mouse-Human Age Scaling

The piecewise model used by the calculator:

  • Days 1–21 (pre-weaning): ~150 human days per mouse day
  • Days 21–42 (juvenile, weeks 3–6): ~150 human days per mouse day
  • Days 42–180 (young/mature adult, months 1.5–6): ~45 human days per mouse day
  • Days 180–365 (middle age, months 6–12): ~30 human days per mouse day
  • Days 365–730 (aged, months 12–24): ~25 human days per mouse day
  • Days >730 (senescent): ~20 human days per mouse day

The published model anchors mouse adulthood (~3 months) to human age 20, mouse middle age (~12 months) to human age 38, and mouse senescence (~24 months) to human age 60 — the calculator reproduces these landmarks exactly.

Why Age Matters in Translational Studies

Most preclinical studies use 8–12 week old mice, which corresponds to a human age of ~18–22 — a window almost no human disease cohort represents. This is one of the reasons preclinical-to-clinical translation often fails for aging-related conditions.

For aging research, the recommended cohorts are:

  • Young adult: 3–6 months (~22–34 human years)
  • Middle-aged: 12–14 months (~38–47 human years)
  • Aged: 18–24 months (~56–69 human years)

Use this calculator to label your cohorts in human-equivalent terms when writing methods sections — it dramatically improves clinical reviewers' interpretation.

Frequently asked

325
Free tools
1,200+
Institutions
100%
Client-side
0
Uploads required