The Darwin economy
Here's a talk by Robert H Frank on the ideas behind the book The Darwin economy (30 min lecture)
But having such big antlers put the elk at a survival disadvantage when it comes to escaping from predators. It would be in all the elk's interests if they all had smaller antlers, as it doesn't matter how big your antlers are, just how big they are compared to your nearest competitor.
Synopsis
The Bull elk's antlers are to help in the elks individual reproduction advantage. The bigger your antlers are compared to your competitors, the better placed you are in securing a mating partner. But having such big antlers put the elk at a survival disadvantage when it comes to escaping from predators. It would be in all the elk's interests if they all had smaller antlers, as it doesn't matter how big your antlers are, just how big they are compared to your nearest competitor.
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