Human menopause unique among primates, comparative study
finds
A study of mortality and fertility patterns among seven
species of wild apes and monkeys and their relatives, compared with similar
data from hunter-gatherer humans, shows that menopause sets humans apart from
other primates.
Nonhuman primates aren't immune to the fading female
fertility that comes with age, the researchers say. But human females are
unique in living well beyond their childbearing years.