«We present a unique data set that combines sexual swelling scores and
ovarian hormone measurements from the first long - term study on the physiology and reproductive endocrinology of wild female bonobos in their natural environment,» said study coauthor, Gottfried Hohmann.
The study team assessed three sets of outcomes: a maturational index (MI) based on epithelial cells from the children's urogenital tissue; ultrasound
measurements of uterine,
ovarian and testicular volume, as well as breast - buds; and
hormone concentrations seen in blood tests.