Primate Reproductive Aging: Cross-Taxon Perspectives (Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Vol. 36)

Due to the unusually long post-reproductive lifespan characteristic of human females, primate reproductive aging receives a great deal of attention. Promoting and supporting discussion on comparative analyses of aging among diverse primate species, including humans, this publication highlights current research on female primate reproductive aging from both institutional-based as well as field studies. The contributions highlight the complex interaction between somatic and reproductive senescence. The latter is broadly manifested along a cross-taxonomic evolutionary continuum, with humans at one end of the spectrum exhibiting the lengthiest post-reproductive lifespan. Primatologists, anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, animal behaviorists, endocrinologists, neuroscientists, and all scholars interested in aging and reproduction will find this book a valuable source of information. Considering the increasing number of geriatric primates held in captivity, it will also be helpful to animal care professionals, as it calls attention to the special care that primates may require in order to monitor, maintain and improve their health as they age.