Menstruation
Most female mammals have an estrous cycle, yet only ten primates species, four bats species, the elephant shrew, and the spiny mouse have a menstrual cycle. The relatedness of these groups suggests that four distinct evolutionary events have caused menstruation to arise.
Animal sexual behaviour
When animal sexual behaviour is reproductively motivated, it is often termed "mating" or "copulation"; for most non-human mammals, mating and copulation occur at oestrus (the most fertile period in the mammalian female's reproductive cycle), which increases the chances of successful impregnation. Some animal sexual behaviour involves competition, sometimes fighting, between multiple males. Females often select males for mating only if they appear strong and able to protect themselves. The male that wins a fight may also have the chance to mate with a larger number of females and will therefore pass on his genes to their offspring.