Post-fertile Lifespan in Female Primates and Cetaceans

Abstract

Popular and scientific interest in menopause in humans has led to increased interest in the extent of post-fertile life in other animals, particularly in long lived social species such as other primates and cetaceans. Information on maximum life span achieved, and age at last birth are available from long-term observations of known individuals from 11 primate species in the wild. Comparable information from wild cetaceans are more difficult to obtain, however there are relevant fisheries data, as well as a small number of long-term individual-based studies. Using post-reproductive representation (PrR) as a population measure of post-fertile lifespan that allows comparisons across populations and species, this review confirms that among primates, only humans have a maximum lifespan significantly longer that 50 years, and only human female life history includes a significant post fertile stage of life. We conclude that although a prolonged post-fertile stage of life is very rare in mammals, it does occur in some exceptionally long lived taxa, such as humans and in resident killer and short-finned pilot whales. Thus menopause evolved independently at least three times in mammals and the reasons for its evolution may differ in different lineages.