Socially-induced ovulation synchrony and its effect on seabird population dynamics

Spontaneous oscillator synchrony is a form of self-organization in which populations of interacting oscillators ultimately cycle together. This phenomenon occurs in a wide range of physical and biological systems. In rats and humans, estrous/menstrual cycles synchronize through social stimulation with pheromones acting as synchronizing signals. In previous work we showed that glaucous-winged gulls (Larus glaucescens) can lay eggs synchronously on an every-other-day schedule, and that synchrony increases with colony density. We posed a discrete-time mathematical model for reproduction during the breeding season based on the hypothesis that pre-ovulatory luteinizing hormone surges synchronize by means of visual, auditory, and/or olfactory cues. Here we extend the seasonal model in order to investigate the effect of ovulation synchrony on population dynamics across reproductive seasons. We show that socially-stimulated ovulation synchrony can enhance total population size and allow the population to persist at lower birth rates than would otherwise be possible. *Corresponding Author: Phone 269-471-9029