Killer whale pods, elephant herds, and old-growth forests all run on the same pattern: elder females who hold the group together. Killer whale pods follow elder matriarchs to food in hard years. Elephant herds rely on grandmother memory during drought. Trees share resources through underground networks centered on the oldest members.
So did we. The human grandmother’s long post-reproductive lifespan is not a medical accident. It is an adaptation — the species survived because grandmothers who lived past childbearing improved the survival of their grandchildren. This is where the series begins.