Researchers discover first proof of wild female chimpanzees experiencing menopause

Researchers discover first proof of wild female chimpanzees experiencing menopause

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

• A recent study has uncovered the very first pieces of evidence of female wild chimpanzees experiencing menopause and having a post-fertile life, which has been very rare in the animal kingdom.
• A handful of mammals, including humans and toothed whales, are known to have extended lifespans in females beyond their reproductive years.

Relevance of menopause to fertility

• Menopause is when menstruation stops and female reproductive hormones slow down.
• This phenomenon is universal and marks the end of a female’s reproductive cycle.
• It is the time in a female’s life when menstruation stops permanently and she will no longer be able to bear children.
• Menopause is defined as having occurred when a female has not had any vaginal bleeding for a year.

Changes During Menopause

• Females experience hot flashes, difficulty in sleeping, mood swings and irregular libido.
• Before menopause female’s periods would become irregular i.e shorter or longer duration.
• Hot flashes are associated with shivering, sweating etc. These stop after two or three years.
• It is associated with decreasing hormone production by ovaries.

Factors influencing Menopause

• Genetic factors play an important role in deciding the age at menopause. A daughter may follow her mother’s pattern of menstrual cycle.
• Nutritional factors are important in deciding the age at menopause. Better nourished females have higher age at menopause compared to poorly nourished females.
• Some diseases lead to early menopause like coeliac.
• Medical treatment: Hysterectomy removal of uterus will lead to early menopause about 3.5 years earlier than expected.
• Lifestyle: Lifestyle of women can promote early onset of menopause like smoking, consuming alcohol, eating junk food etc.

Relation Between Menopause and Fertility

• Menopause is the end of a woman’s reproductive cycle.
• Women cannot bear children once menopause occurs.
• Early menopause can also lead to fertility problems.

Significance of findings 

We now know that menopause and post-fertile survival arise across a broader range of species and socio-ecological conditions than formerly appreciated, providing a solid basis for considering the roles that improved diets and lowered risks of predation would have played in human life history evolution.