Weapon growth is far more resource-sensitive than other body parts

Evidence

Not surprisingly, nutrition had a pronounced impact on beetle growth. Genitalia in poorly fed males were 7 percent shorter than in well-fed males. Wings and legs each were about 20 percent smaller. Horns, however, differed by almost 60 percent, meaning horn growth was three times as sensitive to nutrition as wings and legs, and almost nine times as sensitive as genitalia. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 340

Categorization

• XREF: Hard ecological data pairing the discretionary-resources argument: horns 60% vs genitalia 7% sensitivity. — connects to: Weapons in arms races get so big they impair other bodily functions; Horn growth is nine times more nutrition-sensitive than genitalia in beetles; Growing large weapons diverts resources and stunts other body parts — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 295 (+4 more)

Related

• Horn growth is nine times more nutrition-sensitive than genitalia in beetles (similarity 0.94)
• Infections shrink weapon growth because immunity consumes the same resource pool (similarity 0.91)
• Weapon size should track resource availability more than any mandatory body part (similarity 0.91)
• Growing large weapons diverts resources and stunts other body parts (similarity 0.90)
• Arms-race weapon growth makes resource trade-offs drastically impair body functions (similarity 0.88)
• Weapons in arms races get so big they impair other bodily functions (similarity 0.88)
• Weapons grow late because development prioritizes mandatory survival expenses first (similarity 0.85)
• Extreme weapons across many insect species stunt eyes, wings, antennae, and testes (similarity 0.83)
• Beetle horns can be impressively large yet nearly cost-free to produce and use (similarity 0.82)
• Weapons are better signals than body size because they vary from zero to enormous (similarity 0.82)
• Beetle horns can reach 30 percent of male body weight (similarity 0.82)
• Early survival advantages compound into huge adult differences in weapon resources (similarity 0.82)
• Weapon size honestly signals fighting ability because growth tracks health and nutrition (similarity 0.82)
• Variation in animal weapon size is explainable by species ecology and behavior. (similarity 0.82)
• Extreme weapon size is relative to body size, not absolute (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Weapon size should track resource availability more than any mandatory body part #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 338
• Infections shrink weapon growth because immunity consumes the same resource pool #expands (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 343