Medieval combat structured even battlefield clashes as ritualized one-on-one duels

Evidence

In animal duels, too, the best fighters usually win, whereas in scrambles they may not. Head-on encounters are relatively predictable and straightforward, without surprises. In these fights it is harder for a poor quality male to usurp a bigger, better male. As with ancient warriors, strength, stamina, and weapon size prevail. … All else being equal, we expect species where males fight each other one-on-one to be more likely to evolve extreme weapons than species where males fight less predictably. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 245 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

We’ve identified two of the three critical ingredients for arms races: intense competition, generally arising among males as they battle for access to females, and ecological situations that cause resources to be localized and economically defensible. There’s one final ingredient, and it involves the details of the fights themselves—the way that males face each other in battle. Males must face each other one on one, rather than all together in a scramble. For bigger weapons to perform better than smaller ones, the battles must be matched and “symmetrical,” with comparably armed contestants challenging each other face-to-face. Oddly, this last ingredient has been almost entirely overlooked by biologists. To appreciate its significance, we must turn instead to attrition models of military forces, and to the century-old insights of an eclectic automotive and aeronautical engineer. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 226 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

But it’s his linear law that is most relevant to the evolution of extreme weapons. By contrasting ancient and modern warfare, Lanchester helped define the circumstances in which large weapons will, and will not, be cost-effective. When opponents can concentrate their fire—gang up on an opponent simultaneously—investing in large weapons is probably a mistake. On the other hand, when soldiers duel each other at close range, face-to-face and one-on-one, then the better fighter is likely to win. Because fighting ability often depends on the size of a weapon, duels can lead to situations where bigger and bigger weapons prevail. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 238 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Concentrating simultaneous fire disfavors large weapons while duels favor them; Big weapons only pay off when fights are one-on-one duels — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 238; Symmetrical one-on-one fights are a neglected prerequisite for weapon arms races — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 226 (+2 more)

Related

• One-on-one duels favor weapon evolution while chaotic scrambles do not. (similarity 0.89)
• Concentrating simultaneous fire disfavors large weapons while duels favor them (similarity 0.87)
• Symmetrical one-on-one fights are a neglected prerequisite for weapon arms races (similarity 0.87)
• Animal and human fights both hinge on whether duels or gang-ups occur (similarity 0.85)
• Big weapons only pay off when fights are one-on-one duels (similarity 0.82)
• Specific conditions are required before weapons escalate into an arms race (similarity 0.82)
• Intense competition without duel structure does not drive weapon evolution. (similarity 0.82)
• Cheap weapons let untrained commoners overcome heavily armored elites (similarity 0.81)
• State arms races mirror single male-male animal contests, not evolutionary turnover (similarity 0.81)
• Three conditions must align to trigger an animal weapons arms race. (similarity 0.81)
• Weapons innovations trigger arms races in ships just as in animals (similarity 0.80)
• Fortification-artillery escalation mirrors predator-prey arms races, not rival contests (similarity 0.79)
• When balancing selection fails, bigger weapons win every round and escalate the race. (similarity 0.79)
• Excess rival males over scarce fertile females drove knightly combat in medieval Europe (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Symmetrical one-on-one fights are a neglected prerequisite for weapon arms races #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 226
• One-on-one duels favor weapon evolution while chaotic scrambles do not. #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 245
• Big weapons only pay off when fights are one-on-one duels #exemplifies (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 238
• The first modern naval battle opened with medieval chivalric gestures #exemplifies (0.60) — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 627