Humans are the only primates that undergo a change in your life when the menstrual cycle ends, and this is something that scientists have left unanswered for many years as the animals continue to reproduce in their advanced years.
Now it seems that someone has found a rational response to this question, since a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has shown that the answer to this question might be related to the daughters.
Studies conducted by this team in Cambridge have come to believe that menopause is the evolutionary result of competition between women and their daughters, which has taken place for thousands of years.
Unlike other primate species, the team has discovered that in the past were young females which moved from one social group to another, instead of men as at present.
At this time, when he faced a new rival, the woman must choose between having more children or helping others to raise their grandchildren, a decision was simplified over time because it was easier to help care of a new generation to have another child.
In presenting his studies, Dr. Michael Cant, Exeter University, and Dr. Rufus Johnstone, University of Cambridge, concluded that evolution has shaped the fertility of women.
They believe that these new discoveries, achieved thanks to DNA studies, could provide new clues to the genetic basis of premature menopause and other diseases related to low fertility.
Undoubtedly, these studies are very interesting considering that on average women lose the ability to reproduce at age 50, but also live much longer lives, even exceeding the life expectancy of men.
Finally, Dr. Cant stressed that reproductive competition has been little studied by men; something very bad considering that might give a clue about why women stop reproducing at a certain age.
