Why do most women get their first period around age 12 when their bodies are usually not well developed enough to safely carry a baby to term?

Question

Why do most women get their first period around age 12 when their bodies are usually not well developed enough to safely carry a baby to term?

In: 12558

Answer 1

Onset of puberty in young girls is affected by, among other things, body fat % (a function of dietary fat intake and total calories consumed). In early hominids, young females likely didn’t acquire enough calories, and calories from fat, to start puberty as early as they do in developed nations today.

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