Women have a biological cap on their reproductive years. And from an evolutionary standpoint researchers have long wondered why human female longevity extends well past fertility.. Other than humans, only short-finned pilot whales and killer whales live three or more decades after menopause, some even reaching their 90s. Male whales, which are far less likely to be followed by group-mates than are females, seldom survive past 50. (相比之下，雄鲸鱼少有像雌性那样的机会，它们很少活过50岁）
Now a study of killer whales offers some clues about why evolution may have selected for such long life（为什么进化会造成雌鲸长寿）: older females have accrued what the study authors call “repositories of ecological knowledge,” that can help their entire group survive.
The researchers examined more than 750 hours of killer whale video. They saw that older, wizened females were the individuals most likely to lead younger whales to salmon feeding grounds, especially during lean times. The study is in the journal Current Biology.
The work provides the first evidence that the advantage conferred via the knowledge held by elderly female whales may be behind the adaptation for their post-fertility longevity. In humans, an analogous explanation for post-menopausal longevity is part of what’s called “the grandmother effect,” the constellation of attributes that make older women especially valuable to the community. Whale grandmas appear to be highly valuable, too.
a biological cap：一个生理限制
reproductive years：可生育年限
an evolutionary standpoint：一个进化的角度
wonder：vt 对…好奇，想弄明白 n 奇迹，奇观 adj 神奇的
longevity: n 长寿，长期供职，寿命
fertility：n 肥力，繁殖力
Other than:除了，不同，不是
short-finned pilot whales：短鳍领航鲸 killer whales
menopause：更年期
accrue: vi 增加，积累 vt 增值
repository: n 仓库
lean times: 贫瘠时代
adaptation：n 适应，顺应
post-fertility longevity 生育后的长寿
analogous：adj 相似的
post-menopausal longevity：经期后的长寿
constellation：n 星座，一群人
attribute：vt 认为，把什么归于 n 属性，特征，价值
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