Summary
Synchronized breeding in social units of animals (like colonies and herds) is often interpreted as a strategy against predators (predator satiation), and one might expect to find little variation in the relative date of starting reproduction. However, data on many colonies or herds show only partial synchrony. Our hypothesis is that this is not simply unavoidable variance but may be an adaption against predators. We consider the case where the members of a social unit can avoid predation actively by cooperation. If the contribution to this predator avoidance is different for individuals engaged in different phases of reproduction, our model shows that partial synchrony is of adaptive significance. Data on the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) are used to test the model's predictions.
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Wissel, C., Brandl, R. A model for the adaptive significance of partial reproductive synchrony within social units. Evol Ecol 2, 102–114 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02067271
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02067271