Intraspecific competition: A missing link in dermal armour evolution?

Predation is widely regarded as an important selective force in the evolution and maintenance of dermal armour; yet, the basic premise that predation and armour are strongly linked to each other has proven to be difficult to assess. In this concept, I put forward the fighting-advantage hypothesis, the view that aggressive interactions with conspecifics, not predation, might have been a key selective pressure in the evolution of dermal armour. Considering intraspecific competition as a potential explanation could not only reveal previously overlooked aspects of the functional and evolutionary significance of dermal armour, but also advance the emerging field of biomimetics in which such knowledge forms the starting point of technological innovation.

Automated summary

Predation is considered important for the evolution and maintenance of dermal armour, but the strong link between predation and armour is difficult to assess. The author proposes the fighting-advantage hypothesis, suggesting that aggressive interactions with conspecifics, rather than predation, may have been a key selective pressure in the evolution of dermal armour.