Why an Orca?

The stories behind menopause

Why an Orca?

The short answer is that Orcas have a menopause and that’s cool.

And here’s the long answer…

Orcas do indeed have a menopause. So do beluga whales, narwhals, and short-finned pilot whales. It seems that giraffes and elephants may also have a significant period of life after their fertility ends. There could well be more — because it’s one of those things you don’t find if you don’t look for it. Scientist have to examine both the teeth and the ovaries to find this out. It’s not something you do casually.

Whales and dolphins are fairly distant cousins — we may have a very long dead common ancestor but we’re not descended from them, nor they from us. Evolution came up with the menopause more than once. So maybe there’s an advantage to it.

There are a few theories here. Having our grandchildren and our children compete for resources may disadvantage our genes. Or given that older females may not be able to attract prime mates (Now I’m dating again I’m worried this is still the case) so there’s more to gained by supporting the children produced in partnership with males with the really good genes. It may also be the case that experienced females who do not have children are an important resource for the whole group — who are to some extent…