Female chimpanzees go through the menopause.
Female chimpanzees go through the menopause
A new study has discovered signs of major hormonal changes in a group of older wild primates in Uganda.
However, the findings have baffled scientists as it previously been thought that only humans and certain types of whales lived for many years after losing the ability to reproduce.
The team studied 185 female chimpanzees at the Kibale national park between 1995 and 2016 and found that the probability of the primates giving birth fell after the animals reached the age of 30, with no births occurring at all in those aged above 50.
Despite this, 16 females lived beyond that age.
The experts also analysed urine samples from 66 female chimpanzees that revealed hormonal changes with age similar to those seen in humans during the menopause.
Dr. Kevin Langergraber, co-author of the study at Arizona State University, said: "It is not obvious how selection can favour the extension of lifespan past the point at which individuals can no longer reproduce."