Why Do Whales Go Through Menopause? – Webtekno

Almost all living things need to pass on their genes to the next generation. continues to reproduce. One of the basic instincts reproductive, It usually continues until the creature survives, but This is not the case with whales.

in the animal kingdom menopause, It is a very rare condition. While the life of a creature ends after menopause in wildlife, some whales enter menopause after a certain age. It stops reproducing but continues to live.

The fact that some whales go through menopause comes from a certain instinct outside the evolutionary process.

Not all whales, just short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, killer whales, narwhals, and belugas to be five species of toothed whales is entering menopause. These species are on average compared to other whales. 40 years longer is alive. At the same time, their own kind Also longer than male whales they live.

When we look at the evolutionary process, species in the animal kingdom that go through menopause naturally Because they lose their ability to reproduce They don’t live very long. However, when they looked at whales that lived for another 40 years, scientists saw that this situation had not changed in the whales, and it became a matter of curiosity for them.

It is quite strategic for these whales to enter menopause. You ask why?

The whale species we have mentioned shorten their reproductive processes and extend their lifespan as much as possible. The reason this being able to take better care of their own family members And actually they want to protect from danger.

So a whale wants to stop the breeding process and spend more time with other members. Instead of being able to defend them, protect them and give birth to them in case of any danger. She wants to take care of her existing offspring. It’s the maternal instinct.

Moreover, a female whale is careful not to get pregnant at the same time as other family members.

There is a general competition in the animal kingdom. A mother whale with her calf can reproduce at the same time and live in the same group. This shows that whales and their families are competing for the same resources. Because even though he has his own offspring, he has to hunt for himself too staying.

According to the ‘Grandma Hypothesis’ Whales avoid this competition by entering menopause. In other words, instead of taking care of the new baby she will give birth to, a whale big puppies He spends more time with. We can say that by taking care of them, we ensure their survival and have an easier time transferring their genes.

Chimpanzees also go through menopause, but the most striking species in wildlife were whales.

Scientists, chimpanzees He explained that they can also go through menopause and live well beyond their reproductive age. Apart from chimpanzees and humans, it is not known that the reason why whales go through menopause is outside the evolutionary process. sounds emotional, It’s pretty surprising.

These studies show that we share the same world. What we have in common with animals It helps us see. Although whales are not a part of our daily lives, they have excited scientists with this common feature they have with humans. What do you think about it?

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