Good point, but I'm curious: Are the old matriarchs still able to reproduce, or are they infertile, and have they been infertile for many decades? And after th

Good point, but I'm curious: Are the old matriarchs still able to reproduce, or are they infertile, and have they been infertile for many decades? And after that question, I think the point of the article was really to look at the abnormalities of animals living past their age of being biologically useful. Biology 101 says, the point of life is to reproduce. So, if an animal lives past the age when it can no longer reproduce, does it still have a biological purpose? If there is such a purpose, is it normal to live long past the age of infertility, or is this just enjoyed by a select few species? And if there's time, why do only a few animals enjoy this benefit? Does forgetting a single species amongst thousands change the purpose of this article?