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:
“A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do.”
—Lois Wyse (20th century)
“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)