Female reproductive aging in seven primate species: Patterns and consequences.

ABSTRACT: Age-related changes in fertility have increasingly been documented in wild animal populations: In many species the youngest and oldest reproducers are disadvantaged relative to prime adults. How do these effects evolve, and what explains their diversity across species? Tackling this question requires detailed data on patterns of age-related reproductive performance in multiple animal species. Here, we compare patterns and consequences of age-related changes in female reproductive performance in seven primate populations that have been subjects of long-term continuous study for 29 to 57 y. We document evidence of age effects on fertility and on offspring performance in most, but not all, of these primate species. Specifically, females of six species showed longer interbirth intervals in the

SUBMITTER: Campos FA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9171789 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature