Synopsis

From the sharp pinchers of lobsters and the teeth of dogs to the sting of bees and the fangs of snakes, every creature relies on weaponry for survival. Yet, some animals possess implements of war so excessive they seem counterproductive—consider the bull elk with its forty-pound rack of antlers or the rhinoceros beetle whose horn dwarfs its own body. What drives the evolution of such enormous tusks, horns, and claws, which can impede movement and even compromise an animal’s well-being? *NOVA* ex