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Study shows that some whale species go through menopause
#1
New studies on Beluga Whales and Narwhales  are showing that the females of these species go through menopause. They live for decades beyond their reproductive years. This is interesting. We tended to think that humans are the only species to do this. 
It wasn't that long ago that we didn't live long enough to experience menopause. It implies a very complex society that needs and values its older females as part of the group. The older females do stay with the group.  

I think we will need to study whales more to understand the purpose of menopause for them. Also I wonder what other species experience menopause that we have not even looked at.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/belug...-1.4798359

This does have implications for whale population estimates.  We look at males and females and actual numbers. Any given population may contain more non breeding females than we realize. It may be important to the social dynamics, but we may be over estimating  how endangered some species are.

I have to wonder, do whales have hot flashes and if so what do they do about them. Do they have something that is the equivalent of "chocolate" in their diet.  I wish I could talk to an older whale female and compare notes.
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Catherine

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#2
(08-28-2018, 02:42 PM)Catherine Wrote: I think we will need to study whales more to understand the purpose of menopause for them. Also I wonder what other species experience menopause that we have not even looked at.



I have to wonder, do whales have hot flashes and if so what do they do about them. Do they have something that is the equivalent of "chocolate" in their diet.  I wish I could talk to an older whale female and compare notes.

This finding is extremely interesting. I didn't know that about Belugas. Maybe like you say, there are other species who also experience menopause which we don't know anything about yet.

Being under water is an ideal solution for hot flushes! Or being in the fridge! I used to open the freezer compartment of the fridge at my mother's house- (which was centrally heated even in summer) -and just put my arms in it. I didn't even care about sticking to the ice. But I was so hot that the ice melted quickly. (My mother told me off for doing that -said I was making everything in the fridge too warm!) Smiley4

But whales? They are already in the cool water. Maybe they don't get hot flushes.  I hope not!
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#3
I used to go outside in the winter and shovel snow wearing only a T-shirt, cotton pants and bedroom slippers. It felt so good. I suspect I warmed up the neighbourhood and defeated the wind chill. 

Whales probably get something else equally annoying.

Living past our fertile years implies that there is something more that we contribute to our species beyond just having babies.
Older adults pass on knowledge to the younger ones. That also implies that a species has a body of knowledge to pass on.

I really do want to know what other species do this. Maybe we have been underestimating a number of species. We won't know until we really look at them.
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Catherine

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