In veterinary epidemiology, a generation (cohort) life table tracks mortality over what scope?

• A. During the current year only.
• B. Over the entire lifetime of the cohort.
• C. Over an arbitrary fixed time window (for example, one year).
• D. Across multiple generations.

Answer: (C)

A generation (cohort) life table is built by following a group born together for a defined, fixed period to summarize mortality within that window. By choosing an interval like one year, you record how many are at risk and how many die during that period, allowing you to compute survival and mortality measures cleanly and compare them across cohorts. This fixed horizon keeps the analysis practical and consistent, especially in veterinary settings where long-term follow-up may be difficult. While a lifetime follow-up is possible in theory, using an arbitrary fixed window provides a standard snapshot of mortality for the cohort.