The grandmother hypothesis is a theory to explain the existence of menopause, rare in mammal species, in human life history and how a long post-fertile period (up to one third of a woman's lifespan) could confer an evolutionary advantage.
Holding longevity constant, a female that undergoes menopause should have a lower total fertility rate, making menopause intriguing from an evolutionary perspective.
See also: patriarch hypothesisRead more about Grandmother Hypothesis: Background, The Grandmother Effect, Evidence For, Evidence Against, Conclusion
Famous quotes containing the words grandmother and/or hypothesis:
“Time to plant tears, says the almanac.
The grandmother sings to the marvellous stove
and the child draws another inscrutable house.”
—Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)
“It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.”
—Konrad Lorenz (1903–1989)