Post-Menopausal Killer Whales Become Pod Leaders, Study Reveals
A new study suggests that female killer whales take up the role of pod leaders after menopause. They help other whales of the pod to survive, especially in lean times, by guiding them in their food hunt. Thus these female killer whales lead a long and productive life, even after they stop having babies. They breed between the ages 14 and 40, but they can survive well till the age of 90. However, the males rarely live after 50. The new study has appeared in the journal Current Biology.
Apart from humans, killer whales and short-finned pilot whales are the only two species in which the females survive decades after menopause. The study indicates that after menopause, the female killer whales become the leaders of their pods as they no more get burdened by childbearing. The study authors stated “The value gained from the wisdom of elders can help explain why female resident killer whales and humans continue to live long after they have stopped reproducing.”
More: Post-Menopausal Killer Whales Become Pod Leaders, Study Reveals