Cat weapons stayed moderate because agility and speed offset killing power

Evidence

Cats are agile predators whose weapons are moderate in size, reflecting a balance between selection for killing large prey and selection for agility and speed. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 955

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Cat canines are piercing weapons vulnerable to side torque during hunts — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 78; Weapon size in animal species is under stabilizing selection, not open-ended directional selection — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 850; Ambush predators sacrifice locomotion speed for close-range striking power — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 113 (+7 more)

Related

• Cat canines are piercing weapons vulnerable to side torque during hunts (similarity 0.91)
• Predator weapons stay small because larger ones hinder hunting (similarity 0.86)
• Weapon size in animal species is under stabilizing selection, not open-ended directional selection (similarity 0.85)
• Ambush predators evolve large weapons because they strike rather than chase prey (similarity 0.84)
• Extreme weapon size faces stabilizing, not open-ended, selection in real populations (similarity 0.84)
• Deterrence amplifies the evolutionary payoff of extreme weapon size. (similarity 0.84)
• Balanced selection keeps most animal weapons modest rather than extreme. (similarity 0.84)
• Natural selection usually favors modest weapon size because cost offsets benefit (similarity 0.84)
• Species with huge weapons often show weak current selection on them. (similarity 0.84)
• Reproductive success, not survival, drives the largest animal weapons (similarity 0.83)
• Bigger weapons usually fail because their costs outweigh their benefits (similarity 0.82)
• Variation in animal weapon size is explainable by species ecology and behavior. (similarity 0.82)
• Ambush predators depend on appendage speed more than body speed (similarity 0.82)
• Predator diversity is best explained by weapon adaptation to habitat and prey (similarity 0.82)
• Weapon costliness keeps signals honest by excluding weaker males (similarity 0.82)

Broader Connections

• Natural selection usually favors modest weapon size because cost offsets benefit #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 21
• Ambush predators sacrifice locomotion speed for close-range striking power #contradicts (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 113
• Predator weapons stay small because larger ones hinder hunting #expands (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 83
• Extreme weapon size faces stabilizing, not open-ended, selection in real populations #corroborates (0.65)
• Weapon size in animal species is under stabilizing selection, not open-ended directional selection #corroborates (0.60) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 850
• Agility constraints suppress heavy weapons in airborne insect fighters #epitomizes (0.60) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 729
• Extreme weapon size is relative to body size, not absolute #qualifies (0.50) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 3
• Weapons primarily deter rivals rather than inflict harm in actual fights #expands (0.40)
• Weapons work primarily as deterrents that prevent fights rather than win them #expands (0.40) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 966