Towards an integrated understanding of animal weapons

Christine Whitney Miller, Dominic Cram, Sarah M. Lane, Romain P Boisseau, Sophia Fitzgerald, Nicole Lopez, Allen J. Moore, Christina Painting, Alenandre V. Palaoro, Michael Ryan, Ummat Somjee, Camille Thomas-Bulle, Douglas Emlen, David Labonte

Animals resolve conflict using an astonishing array of weapons – from electric fields and sonic shockwaves to deadly venom and high-impact strikes. Most weapon research has typically considered only a single weapon modality at a time with a focus separately on weapons under sexual selection or natural selection. Further, few studies have examined how weapons are integrated into the larger phenotype. Thus, it is not surprising that major questions remain about why weapons have evolved such extraordinary diversity in form and function. By synthesizing insights across weapon modalities and research traditions, we identify key directions for future research. We propose that animal weapons provide a powerful framework for understanding how conflict drives the evolution of complex, integrated phenotypes.