The Grandmother's Hypothesis

Anthropology of Aging
Final Research Paper
11/5/12
The grandmas Hypothesis


The post-reproductive period of women has been suggested to be an adaptive phenomenon caused by the selection for women who ar able to be beneficial in raising their hold grandchildren. This has been formed into a hypothesis known as The Grand cause Hypothesis, originally proposed by G.C. Williams in 1957, who suggested the idea that climacteric has give-up the ghost an evolutionary adaption for increasing ones own inclusive fittingness. Other hypotheses contrast this hypothesis and suggest that mens changes in reproduction birth played a hearty role in the increased post-reproductive periods in women (Marlowe 1999). Numerous studies have examined demographics of childcare end-to-end different hunter-ga in that respectr societies, examining longevity and assistance to mob provided by the mformer(a)s mother, the mother, the father and the combinations of each.
The most universal hypothesis for explaining the occurrence of menopause and increased longevity aft(prenominal) reproduction has been the Grandmother Hypothesis. An interesting fact about menopause through an evolutionary lens is that Bonobos and gorillas, who care 99% of our DNA are reproductive throughout their life and do not experience menopause (Eric Johnson 2009).



It is then suggested throughout various disciplines that somewhere along the course of human evolution, there was selection for menopause and increased longevity. The grandmother hypothesis suggests that a selection for menopause occurred within women in read for plain care to be given to their kin, which improves their own inclusive fitness (G.C. Williams 1957). The reason for an increased need for women to provide for their kin is intellection to have occurred due to the nature of savannah habitats. Since a mother has to feed simultaneously not only her current child but also her previous several offspring, help from other individuals becomes especially effective. (Hewlett,...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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