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Perimenopause and menopause: documenting life changes in aging female gorillas
Sylvia Atsalis1, Susan W Margulis
1Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614-4757, USA. satsalis@lpzoo.org
Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology
|June 5, 2008
Summary
Female gorillas experience reproductive aging similar to humans, with many geriatric individuals showing menopausal or perimenopausal hormonal patterns. This highlights the need for further study into aging apes and their reproductive health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive endocrinology
- Primate reproductive aging
- Comparative endocrinology
Background:
- Great apes, as humans' closest living relatives, may share similar reproductive aging patterns.
- Understanding reproductive aging in gorillas provides insights into primate and human reproductive senescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate reproductive hormonal patterns in aging female western lowland gorillas.
- To compare hormonal profiles of geriatric gorillas with younger, cycling individuals.
- To identify physiological changes associated with perimenopause and menopause in gorillas.
Main Methods:
- Daily fecal sampling for progestogen concentration analysis in 30 female western lowland gorillas.
- Categorization of gorillas into control, geriatric cycling, and geriatric noncycling groups.
- Longitudinal monitoring of hormonal changes in perimenopausal subjects.
Main Results:
- Approximately 23% of geriatric gorillas were acyclic (menopausal), and about 1/3 showed perimenopausal hormonal patterns.
- Geriatric females exhibited increased estrous cycle variability and decreased fecal progestogen concentrations.
- Noncycling females had lower overall progestogen levels compared to cycling females.
Conclusions:
- Female gorillas undergo reproductive aging with patterns mirroring human perimenopause and menopause.
- Geriatric gorillas display significant hormonal shifts and cycle irregularities associated with aging.
- Further longitudinal studies on aging apes are crucial for understanding primate reproductive senescence.
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