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Menopause and its side effects can all be blamed on men, Canadian experts suggest.

Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men’s tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women.

According to a PLOS Computational Biology article, experts say men’s preferences eventually led to the menopause.

However, a UK expert said that was the “wrong way round” and men chose younger women because older women were less fertile.

Researchers have long been puzzled as to why it appears that human are the only species where females cannot reproduce throughout their lives.

Previous theories had proposed a “grandmother effect”. This suggests that women lose their fertility at an age where they might not live to see a child grow, and instead are available to care for younger women’s children.

The menopause was therefore seen as the block to older women from continuing to reproduce.

But this latest theory suggests things work the other way around, and that it is the lack of reproduction that has given rise to menopause.

Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men's tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women

Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men’s tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women

Using computer modelling, the team from McMaster’s concluded “preferential mating” was the evolutionary answer – men of all ages choosing younger women as partners.

That meant there was “no purpose” in older women continuing to be fertile.

Prof. Rama Singh, an evolutionary geneticist who led the study, said men choosing younger mates were “stacking the odds” against continued fertility.

He said: “There is evidence in human history; there was always a preference for younger women.”

Prof. Rama Singh stressed they were looking at human development many thousands of years ago – rather than current social patterns,

He said this extended longevity – plus later childbirth – could potentially alter the timing of the menopause, over a significant period of time.

“The social system is changing. There are women who are starting families later, because of education or a career.”

Prof. Rama Singh suggested this trend would mean those women would have a later menopause, and those genes would be passed on to their daughters “with the possibility of menopausal age being delayed”.

However, Dr. Maxwell Burton-Chellew, an evolutionary biologist in the department of zoology at the University of Oxford, challenged the theory.

“The authors argue that the menopause exists in humans because males have a strong preference for younger females.

“However, this is probably the wrong way round – the human male preference for younger females is likely to be because older females are less fertile.

“I think it makes more sense to see the human male preference for younger females largely as an evolved response to the menopause, and to assume that ancestral males would have been wise to mate with any females that could produce offspring.”

Dr. Maxwell Burton-Chellew added: “Evolutionarily-speaking, older females
faced an interesting ‘choice’: have a child that may not reach adulthood before your own death, or stop reproducing and instead focus on helping your younger relatives reproduce.”

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Sinead O’Connor is in the beginning stages of her menopause – the period in her life when her menstrual period ceases for good.

And while most women approaching their middle age associate it with hot flushes and a feeling of dread as it signals them getting older.

This is clearly not the case for Sinead O’Connor, who quite simply can’t wait to enter this latest stage in her life.

Sinead O’Connor, 45, who has four children from previous relationships, took to Twitter this week to reveal the personal information to her devotees.

The Irish singer wrote: “I think I’ve started menopause!!! Am SO excited!! Can’t WAIT for the first hot flush!!”

Sinead O’Connor took to Twitter this week to reveal she is starting her menopause to her devotees

Sinead O’Connor took to Twitter this week to reveal she is starting her menopause to her devotees

The controversial singer recently claimed she has grown more open-minded as she has gotten older and wants to bare all for Playboy before she dies.

Sinead O’Connor said: “There’s so much I wouldn’t liked to do when I was younger and I was too miserable and Irish.

“A Playboy shoot is on my bucket list. And I like the idea of doing some interview in weird sex gear, talking about something really serious. The economy!

“You can talk about serious issues while you’re b****ck naked. On all fours in your dog collar!”

Earlier this year she was forced to pull out of her tour as a result of her “bipolar disorder”.

Sinead O’Connor wrote on her website at the time: “With enormous regret I must announce that I have to cancel all touring for the year as am very unwell due to bipolar disorder.

“As you all know I had a very serious breakdown between December and March and I had been advised by my doctor not to go on tour but didn’t want to <<fail>> or let anyone down as the tour was already booked to coincide with album release.”

Sinead O’Connor released her latest album How About I Be Me (And You Be You) in February, which was met with praise from critics.