Urine samples collected from wild chimpanzees in Uganda over decades have revealed older female chimps undergo hormonal changes much like those in menopausal humans.
Urine samples collected from wild chimpanzees in Uganda over decades have revealed older female chimps undergo hormonal changes much like those in menopausal humans.
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Catching a wild chimpanzee’s urine involves good positioning, a bit of luck, and — hopefully — minimal splashback on your face.
It may not be the most glamorous job in science, but years of dedicated chimpanzee urine sample collection in Uganda’s Kibale National Park have revealed that older females undergo hormonal changes much like those in menopausal humans.
This chimpanzee “change”, reported by Dr Langergraber and his colleagues in the journal Science, is the first time that signs of menopause have been found in wild non-human primates.
The study, part of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, also found females in the group frequently lived long after their reproductive years were up.
Aside from humans, the only other wild animals that spend a fair chunk of their life post-reproduction are a few whales, including orcas — species in which older females tend to help raise their grandchildren.
Dr Langergraber joined the project in 2001 and has spent a couple of months each year since (pandemic permitting) following and observing the chimpanzee community.
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