Menstruation (mammal)
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.
Extended female sexuality
Although not found in all organisms, researchers have identified sexual intercourse patterns in certain animals that reflect extended female sexuality, such as in some old world primates, birds and insects. Extensive research has focused on analysing the musk shrew's rate of sexual behaviour. The only period that is associated with a drop in female receptivity to copulation is during mid to late pregnancy; yet, even at this time, occasional mating is reported. Therefore, researchers have concluded that this animal has similar sexual receptivity across infertile and fertile phases. Within primates, research has consistently found evidence of extended female sexuality in the rhesus monkey and chimpanzees. Both of these primates mate at all stages of the ovarian cycle, with only slight increases in sexual receptivity during fertile stages, and decreases during menstruation.