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Of the five thousand species of mammal, the only ones known to go through menopause/cessation of reproductive cycling are humans and just four species of toothed whale - killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, and the closely related beluga whales and narwhal. That makes ‘menopause’ extremely rare in the animal kingdom. Since natural selection so often favours fertility, we find that even long-lived animals such as Galapagos tortoises, macaws and African elephants remain fertile well into old age. Why, then, do humans and toothed whales shut down reproduction at such an early point in life? Can whales be relevant as models for Homo sapiens?
4 фев 2024
