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Puberty in Girls

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Synonyms

Adolescence; Menarche; Reproductive maturation

Definition

Puberty in girls involves the maturation of the endocrine system resulting in the achievement of adult body size and proportions, secondary sexual characteristics, and development of the reproductive organs resulting in the capacity to reproduce.

Introduction

Puberty is a significant life history event marking the end of the prereproductive, juvenile phase of development, and entry into adulthood and reproductive life. Its characteristics, sequelae, and timing differ across species and between the sexes. Puberty in human females exhibits consistencies with the development of other mammals and primates, but unique qualities as well. Because puberty in girls is associated with a host of reproductive, medical, mental, and social changes, it has been the research focus of human biologists, physicians, psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, demographers, and epidemiologists alike. Evolutionary theories and concepts,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, College of Health Care Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Michele K. Surbey

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  1. Michele K. Surbey
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Correspondence to Michele K. Surbey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. University of South Carolina - Beaufort, Bluffton, SC, USA

    Carey Fitzgerald

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Surbey, M.K. (2018). Puberty in Girls. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2451-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2451-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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