Monday, 30 October 2017

Skilled Animal Fighters May Have an Edge in Brawls


By Edd Gent, Live Science Contributor | October 18, 2017 07:03am ET

Brawling beasts may be relying on more than brute strength and size, say researchers, who now suggest the most skillful fighter may often come out on top.

While previous assessments of animal fights have looked more at physical traits  to predict the outcome, scientists think these evaluations may be missing another crucial ingredient: actual fighting talent.

"I think it's something that's been massively overlooked when studying how animals fight and why they win," Mark Briffa, a professor of animal behavior at the University of Plymouth in the U.K., told Live Science. "Having observed hundreds and hundreds of animal fights," Briffa has found that "some animals seem to be competent at doing the aggressive behavior needed in a fight. But others seem to be more inept and don't perform the movements as accurately and precisely as other individuals." [Beasts in Battle: 15 Amazing Animal Recruits in War]


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