Weapons primarily deter rivals rather than inflict harm in actual fights

Evidence

Because fighting is dangerous, males assess each other beforehand, comparing weapons and pushing. Claws function as deterrents, and fights only escalate when males are evenly matched. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 966 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Deterrence, in turn, feeds back on the arms race, driving weapon evolution forward at a faster and faster rate. The moment weapons start functioning as cues of fighting strength, a whole new incentive for extreme size arises. Now, males with the biggest weapons win for two reasons: because they defeat rivals in battle, and because their weapons are big enough to end most confrontations without a fight. Fight costs saved by deterrence compound already-impressive rewards for males with the largest weapons. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 387 (#expands, via linked claim)

Modern conventional weapons appear to behave just like animal weapons. State-of-the-art supersonic, supermaneuverable fighters, brand-new Gerald R. Ford–class supercarriers (due to arrive in 2015), and unprecedented satellite surveillance systems and intelligence-gathering supercomputers all cost a fortune to design, build, and maintain. These are weapons technologies only the richest states can afford, and they confer a pronounced advantage in battle. As with the largest, most expensive animal weapons, our conventional forces no doubt deter rival states from initiating unrestricted war against us. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 592 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Weapon costliness keeps signals honest by excluding weaker males; Weapons work primarily as deterrents that prevent fights rather than win them — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 966; Costly advanced weapons deter rivals just like large animal weapons — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 592 (+11 more)

Related

• Weapons work primarily as deterrents that prevent fights rather than win them (similarity 0.93)
• Costly advanced weapons deter rivals just like large animal weapons (similarity 0.93)
• Deterrence amplifies the evolutionary payoff of extreme weapon size. (similarity 0.91)
• Weapon expense is what keeps signals of fighting ability honest (similarity 0.88)
• Weapons evolved as signals so males could predict fight outcomes before risking battle (similarity 0.88)
• Weapon costliness keeps signals honest by excluding weaker males (similarity 0.88)
• Weapon growth widens the gap between the best- and worst-armed males. (similarity 0.88)
• Weapon escalation ends when costs outweigh benefits and cheaters invade (similarity 0.87)
• Weapon evolution and deterrence form a self-accelerating spiral. (similarity 0.87)
• Weapons evolve only when reproductive benefits exceed costs (similarity 0.86)
• The most expensive weapons serve as deterrents by projecting power globally. (similarity 0.86)
• Dueling plus competition and defensibility is the general rule for extreme weapons (similarity 0.85)
• Bigger weapons usually fail because their costs outweigh their benefits (similarity 0.84)
• Military size honestly signals a state’s fighting strength just as animal weapons do (similarity 0.84)
• Reproductive success, not survival, drives the largest animal weapons (similarity 0.84)

Broader Connections

• Weapons work primarily as deterrents that prevent fights rather than win them #corroborates (0.90) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 966
• Deterrence amplifies the evolutionary payoff of extreme weapon size. #expands (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 387
• Costly advanced weapons deter rivals just like large animal weapons #expands (0.75) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 592
• Weapon expense is what keeps signals of fighting ability honest #expands (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 601
• Weapons evolved as signals so males could predict fight outcomes before risking battle #expands (0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 370