Burrowing is the most common ecology driving extreme weapon evolution.
Evidence
Burrows are probably the most widespread ecological situation leading to the evolution of extreme weapons. They are localized and readily defendable. Males can guard the entrances to tunnels where females reside, and in so doing, block rival males from approaching the females. … Although by no means a guarantee of weapon evolution, burrowing behavior provides two of the three critical prerequisites for an arms race, and this appears to have tipped the balance in species after species. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 247
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Burrow-guarding constrains fights to duels and drives weapon evolution; Competition for reproduction drives evolution of nature’s biggest weapons — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 136; Males evolve big weapons to defend resources that females visit (+2 more)
Related
- Burrow-guarding constrains fights to duels and drives weapon evolution (similarity 0.92)
- Intense competition without duel structure does not drive weapon evolution. (similarity 0.83)
- Competition for reproduction drives evolution of nature’s biggest weapons (similarity 0.83)
- Tunnel dwellers fight successive duels and evolve weapons; open-ground species scramble without them. (similarity 0.82)
- Weapons evolve only when reproductive benefits exceed costs (similarity 0.81)
- Weapon evolution needs both competition and economically defensible resources (similarity 0.81)
- Reproductive success, not survival, drives the largest animal weapons (similarity 0.81)
- Sexual selection can be far stronger than natural selection and drives weapon extremes (similarity 0.81)
- Tunnel-bound fights give longer horns a decisive performance advantage (similarity 0.80)
- Markets and battlefields select among rifle designs like natural selection acts on weapons (similarity 0.80)
- Social competition environments evolve in tandem with weapons, unlike fluctuating physical environments (similarity 0.80)
- Weapon growth widens the gap between the best- and worst-armed males. (similarity 0.80)
- Males evolve big weapons to defend resources that females visit (similarity 0.80)
- Losing the ecological context of competition can make extreme weapons vanish. (similarity 0.79)
- Economic logic explains weapon evolution across virtually all animal species (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Competition for reproduction drives evolution of nature’s biggest weapons
#expands(0.60) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 136 - Sexual selection can be far stronger than natural selection and drives weapon extremes
#expands(0.55) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 177 - Males evolve big weapons to defend resources that females visit
#expands(0.50) - Weapon evolution needs both competition and economically defensible resources
#expands(0.45) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 191