Aerial arms races favor speed and agility over sheer size

Evidence

Now pilots could challenge other pilots directly, and dogfighting was born. Aerial duels pushed planes to their performance limits, and pilots quickly learned the capabilities of both their own and their opponents’ machines, often attempting to exploit subtle differences in relative speed, climb rate, or turning radius. Bigger wasn’t better, but faster speeds and greater maneuverability were, and planes became locked into an arms race just the same. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 542 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Cicada-killer wasps may lack big weapons for a second reason, too. For many insects that fight in the air, agility and maneuverability matter even more than strength or size. Big weapons may hinder mobility in these fights in much the same way that weapons impede speed in predators. Many wasps, dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies fight vicious, acrobatic airborne battles, and almost all of these species lack elaborate weapons. Part of this, no doubt, is due to unpredictability arising from scrambles; the rest is likely balancing selection arising from the need for agility. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 729 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

The first three sections of this book focus on animal weapons, plucking snippets from military history as needed to make a point or to illustrate a parallel. Just how far do these parallels extend? The final chapters delve more deeply and completely into humanity’s greatest arms races, revealing startling similarities with animals, as well as important differences. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 463 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Aircraft arms races favored speed and maneuverability over size — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 542; Agility constraints suppress heavy weapons in airborne insect fighters — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 729; Human and animal arms races follow parallel evolutionary dynamics — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 463 (+1 more)

Related

• Aircraft arms races favored speed and maneuverability over size (similarity 0.92)
• Agility constraints suppress heavy weapons in airborne insect fighters (similarity 0.90)
• Aircraft arms races evolve at the level of machines, not their pilots (similarity 0.86)
• Human and animal arms races follow parallel evolutionary dynamics (similarity 0.85)
• Ambush predators sacrifice locomotion speed for close-range striking power (similarity 0.81)
• Cat weapons stayed moderate because agility and speed offset killing power (similarity 0.81)
• Weapons innovations trigger arms races in ships just as in animals (similarity 0.81)
• Intense competition without duel structure does not drive weapon evolution. (similarity 0.81)
• The evolutionary drivers of animal weapons also explain human weapon elaboration. (similarity 0.80)
• State arms races mirror single male-male animal contests, not evolutionary turnover (similarity 0.80)
• Ambush predators evolve large weapons because they strike rather than chase prey (similarity 0.80)
• Dueling plus competition and defensibility is the general rule for extreme weapons (similarity 0.80)
• Specific conditions are required before weapons escalate into an arms race (similarity 0.80)
• Comparisons of animal and human weapons have a long scholarly tradition. (similarity 0.80)
• Animal and human fights both hinge on whether duels or gang-ups occur (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Aircraft arms races favored speed and maneuverability over size #corroborates (0.95) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 542
• Agility constraints suppress heavy weapons in airborne insect fighters #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 729
• Human and animal arms races follow parallel evolutionary dynamics #expands (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 463
• Ambush predators sacrifice locomotion speed for close-range striking power #exemplifies (0.50) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 113