Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Primatology Through Germ Cell Research and Genetic Modification Techniques
Published on: July 5, 2024
Reproductive suppression in female primates: a review
Abstract:
Reproductive performance is the currency of evolution. All things being equal, an organism should reproduce as often as possible. The puzzling questions in evolutionary biology, therefore, are not how and why an organism does reproduce, but rather how and why an organism does not reproduce. It is difficult to understand why any individual, particularly a female, might forestall reproduction when one of the biggest limitations for female mammalian reproduction is time (that is, reproductive lifespan). The answer, now widely cited throughout behavioral ecology is quite simple: Reproductive suppression can be an adaptive strategy.
Related Concept Videos
Infertility in Females
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
Overview of the Reproductive System
The gonads, or primary reproductive organs, produce gametes and sex hormones. In males, the testes produce spermatozoa and testosterone, which is responsible for developing secondary male sex characteristics, including a deeper voice, larger muscles, facial and body...
Reproductive Cloning
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed, creating an enucleated egg. Then a somatic...
Conservation of Declining Populations

