# The evolution of menopause in toothed whales

*PRI Rank #11 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine animal studies overview Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-animal-studies-overview/2026/rank-11*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #11 |
| 18m citations | 27 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-024-07159-9 |
| Corresponding authors | Samuel Ellis |
| Institution | University of Exeter, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine animal studies overview Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-animal-studies-overview/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41586-024-07159-9](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07159-9)

## Topics

menopause evolution · toothed whales · reproductive cessation · lifespan extension · live-long hypothesis · intergenerational help · grandmother effect · reproductive overlap · lifespan overlap · grandoffspring · comparative life history analysis · postreproductive lifespan · reproductive senescence · maternal-daughter reproductive conflict · multigenerational social structure · cetacean life history · convergent evolution of menopause · adaptive value of menopause · human life history evolution

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine animal studies overview Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-animal-studies-overview/2026. Accessed 2026-07-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```