[Jacob-list] horney question

[Pbs123 at aol.com]

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>        I don't think that higher instances of broken horns seen in rams 
> with four horns is a consequence of structural weakness or insufficiency in 
> mass etc. It should be viewed from a larger perspective, I believe, where 
> broken horns are seen as symptom of a larger problem, i.e., four horns just 
> aren't really compatible with head butting. Broken horns and deaths from 
> split skulls and broken necks stem from this fact. 
>       There is a spectrum of anatomical changes that have taken place to 
> make head bashing possible, but at issue here is the horns. The horn 
> configuration that has evolved to accommodate the extreme trauma generated 
> in butting is the two horn helical type. Male head butting has appeared in 
> the course of evolution many times, but sheep represent the absolute 
> extreme in this behavior, with their horns being the key adaptation. In 
> fact, so successful is their evolved horn configuration that butting has 
> been reduced to a relatively harmless activity. So harmless in fact that 
> male sheep fight more frequently than any other horned ruminant.
>       There are other related ruminants with horns, but most of their horn 
> configurations tend to inflict injury during fights. Therefore fighting is 
> costly and has become less frequent. Fighting is restricted to shorter 
> periods of time and preceded by bluffing and ritualistic behaviors that 
> often preclude physical contact. Unfortunately, polycerate rams have horn 
> configurations that are often closer in configuration to other horned 
> species than to fellow bicornuate sheep.
>       The problem arises from the fact they fight like sheep but with the 
> wrong weaponry. They have horns better suited to sparring or shoving. 
> Intuitively they just look "wrong" for head on collisions. And in reality, 
> V shaped horns do get fatally pried apart and forward breaking horns do 
> inflict injuries and break off, and so on. 
>       Spiraling curvilinear horns are the "right" kind for sheep. I'm not 
> saying that two horn sheep don't get hurt in fights, just that they are 
> more appropriately armed. The polycerate trait is definitely worth 
> preserving but doing so will come at a cost in the form of higher mortality.
> 
> Peter Spellmeyer
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