The most aged killer whale in the world, known under the name Granny, was gone and is announced by died. Kosatke-matriarkhu, entered in registers as J2, were more than 100 years.
The granny was the main hero of the documentary of BBC which was removed during the research by biologists of her clan of killer whales in attempt to slightly open an evolutionary secret.
Studying of females of killer whales who live much longer than a reproductive age helps to understand the reasons and evolution of a menopause.
The menopause comes only at three mammals — killer whales, the korotkoplavnikovykh гринд and people. Even our closest relatives, a chimpanzee, do not endure this period. Their fertility comes to naught with age, and in the nature of a chimpanzee seldom live till those years when cannot have children any more.
Shadowing the Granny and other kosatkami-matriarchs showed their important role in family group. They conduct pack when get food, care for cubs of other females and even feed males.
Leading females who cannot give posterity any more help the families to survive. The benefit which they bring probably was the cause why at females of a look ability to cease to breed evolved.
The research continues, but the legend of the most well studied population of killer whales on the planet will not be its part any more.
For the last time the Granny was seen on October 12, 2016 when she sailed to the north, much more ahead of others.
“Though J2 abandoned us, we will continue to use information on her life which was collected the last 40 years by the Center of a research of whales” — doctor Ken Balkomb wrote on the website of the center.
