Newswise: Fascinating research, fascinating findings: Grandmothers help increase the reproductive success of their adult children (female and male).
The research team "consistently found that women gained, on average, two extra grandchildren for every ten years that they lived past their reproductive life. In evolutionary terms this gives a huge benefit as it makes it more likely that women who survive long after stopping reproduction will forward more genes to the next generation. The evidence suggests that the effect is caused by the woman passing her childcare experience on to her offspring. She can also take on some of the responsibilities of childcare, making it more likely that her children will have more children more quickly.”
The researchers theorize that this is probably why humans, unlike other animals, survive so long beyond their reproductive years.
Adds a tremendous dose of sociological reality to the pagan "maiden, mother, crone" trinity, doesn't it?
Haloscan:
.
Blogger:
.