Orca grandmothers babysit young whales, study finds

Research on 378 killer whales finds those with grandmothers live longer and the older females help them when food is scarceDoting killer whale grandmothers help their grand calves survive, particularly in times of food scarcity, scientists reported in a paper that sheds new light on the evolutionary role of menopause.Orca females stop reproducing in their thirties or forties but can continue to live for decades more, a phenomenon known only to exist in humans and four other mammal species, all of which are whales.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Whales Science Cetaceans Environment Wildlife Marine life Source Type: news