Theory 55/Organism/Defence
Armour Is Risk Against Growth
The claim
Investment in armour is set by the ratio of predation risk to growth cost, so well-defended species grow more slowly in the same habitat.
01Mechanism
Armour diverts resources from growth; the ratio determines how much defence is worth paying for.
02Prediction
Armour should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Armour tracking predation alone would remove cost.