Simulation of reproductive risk and emergence of female reproductive cessation

TL;DR

This paper uses a computer simulation to demonstrate that in a sexually reproducing population, increasing reproductive risk with age can lead to the natural emergence of female reproductive cessation.

Contribution

It introduces a simple evolutionary model showing how reproductive cessation can evolve solely due to age-related reproductive risks.

Findings

Reproductive cessation emerges in the model due to age-increasing risks.

The model demonstrates a natural evolution of female reproductive lifespan.

Reproductive risk influences the evolution of reproductive strategies.

Abstract

Using a simple computer model for evolution, we show that in a sexual population subject only to age-increasing reproductive risk, a cessation of female reproduction emerges.