Читать книгу Introducing Anthropology - Laura Pountney - Страница 43

There is one additional interesting difference between humans and all other primates that is worth noting. At around the age of 50, human females go through the menopause and become sterile. Even in societies where life expectancy is low on account of the absence of medical care, such as those of hunter-gatherers, women often live for decades after ceasing to reproduce in their late forties or early fifties. In contrast, female chimpanzees, gorillas and other nonhuman primates usually remain capable of conception and giving birth even when they are older.

One explanation for this difference in humans is that living for some years following the menopause has proved to have natural selection value for our species. Having raised their own children, post-menopausal women around the world often take care of their grandchildren while their daughters are working. It is argued that this additional experienced and caring attention increases the chances that the grandchildren will survive to adulthood. The role of grandmothers in human societies is another example of cooperation in our species.