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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