The evolution of menopause in toothed whales. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38480878/)

These scientists wanted to understand why menopause has evolved in some animals, like humans and toothed whales. In humans, women stop being able to have babies many years before they reach the end of their life. The scientists studied toothed whales because they are the only mammals, besides humans, that have evolved menopause multiple times.

The scientists collected and looked at information from different toothed whale species to see why menopause might have evolved in these animals. They found that in toothed whales, females live longer without having more babies, which supports the idea that menopause evolved so that females can live longer. This allows older females to help take care of their grandchildren and offspring, without having to compete with their own daughters for resources.

By studying toothed whales, the scientists were able to learn more about why menopause may have evolved in humans too. They found that the same reasons that led to menopause in humans could also explain why it evolved in toothed whales.

Ellis S., Franks DW., Nielsen MLK., Weiss MN., Croft DP. The evolution of menopause in toothed whales. Nature. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07159-9.