Predicting age at onset of menopause: testing the "adaptive onset" hypothesis

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Reproductive science
• Human evolution

Background:

• The adaptive onset hypothesis (AOH) proposes that menopause and its timing are evolutionary adaptations.
• AOH suggests that the age of menopause onset is influenced by the probability of successful future reproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the adaptive onset hypothesis (AOH) regarding the evolutionary origins of menopause.
• To investigate if factors predicting reproductive success influence the age of menopause onset.

Main Methods:

• Data from the NLS Mature Women cohort were analyzed.
• Eight hypothesized factors predicting successful continued reproduction were statistically examined.

Main Results:

• Statistical analyses did not support the predictions of the adaptive onset hypothesis.
• A majority of the tested factors showed trends contrary to those predicted by the AOH.

Conclusions:

• The findings do not support the adaptive onset hypothesis for menopause.
• The study suggests that the age of menopause onset may not be mediated by the likelihood of continued reproductive success as proposed by AOH.