Almost all living things must 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 in wildlife a creature’s life ends after menopause, some whales enter menopause after a certain age. It stops reproducing, but continues to live.

The fact that some whales go through menopause stems from some instinct outside the evolutionary process.

Not all whales, alone short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, killer whales, narwhals and belugas are five species of toothed whales enters menopause. These species are 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 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 another forty years, scientists saw that this situation had not changed in the whales and it became a matter of curiosity for them.

It’s 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 can take better care of their own family members And actually they want to protect against 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 danger. She wants to take care of her existing offspring. It is the maternal instinct.

In addition, a female whale ensures that she does not become 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 compete for the same resources. For even though he has his own offspring, he must also hunt for himself to stay.

According to the ‘Grandmother 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 caring for them we guarantee their survival and we can transfer their genes more easily.

Chimpanzees also go through menopause, but the most notable species was whales.

Scientists, chimpanzees He explained that they can also go through menopause and live much longer than their reproductive age. Except for chimpanzees and humans, it is not known that the reason why whales go through menopause is outside the evolutionary process. sounds emotional, It’s quite 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 part of our daily lives, they have excited scientists with this common trait they share with humans. What do you think about it?

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