In fact, such menopause is also commonly found in fish, birds, mammals and invertebrates (animals without spine)
ScienceLovers - Women will enter menopause at age 45 to 55 years. Menopause is a time when women no longer have the ability to reproduce. Nevertheless, in the taxonomy of the kingdom of Animalia, it turns out that not only humans pass through that biological phase.
According to research scientists, as reported by Livescience, found that the rate of fertility of animal reproduction will also decline with age. But for most animals, reproduction will continue until old age and death, although more decreases.
In a recent primate species review, researchers found that humans are the only primates that did not die within a few years of fertility. Over the past decade, scientists have found that postmenopausal or post-productive periods also occur in many animal species.
Guppies fish, for example, one of the animals that experienced the menopausal version of the fish. According to one study, it was found that an average of 13.6 percent of the total number of Guppies' lives was carried in the post-production stage.
In fact, such menopause is also commonly found in fish, birds, mammals and invertebrates (animals without spine). As a recent review of the topic published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution in July 2015.
However, for most species, animals do not live much longer after they stop reproducing. Menopause appears to be a condition related to captivity (as in guppies) that occurs only in some individuals, not all species.
Different things happen between vertebrates, two species of toothed whales live long after the menopause. Female killer whales reproduce between the ages of 12 and 40 years. But it can last until the age of more than 90 years. While the short-finned female pilot whales reproduce between the ages of 7 and 35 and live up to the age of 60 years.
The most common theory behind menopause is called the grandmother's hypothesis. In short, it is explained that females may stop breeding early to help their offspring and grandchildren survive and reproduce. This of course appears to be true in orca populations, ie, killer whales, where older orca is the heir of ecological knowledge, especially when it comes to finding food.
Interestingly, elephants also include animals that matriarchy aka female role is more dominant in the pattern of family relationships. But they do not experience menopause.
The difference lies in how groups are built on an animal species. The killer whales live in the group in which they were born. Then over time, mothers become increasingly associated with whales from other groups, helping their children to reproduce, thus increasing their genetic inheritance. In the elephant community, boys leave the group where they were born. So the mother's role is no longer related to them as they get older.
Another theory says that there is competition for resources. Research on orcas shows that when two generations of killer whales in the same group multiply simultaneously, females from more generations are likely to die. This may be because young females only focus on their child. Older females should raise their own children and grandchildren.
In the case of humans, girls will move to join a new family. A woman initially has no relationship with her new group until she has a child. But as he gets older, he gets more and more connected with his group. Finally, helping her relatives to raise their children will become more genetically useful to her. Especially since having more children will encourage them in direct competition to get resources with other offspring.
