Like why aren’t lions total roid monsters if only the strongest male gets to breed the females?
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Survival of the fittest does not mean survival of the strongest. Just look at humans, we are by far and away the most dominant life form on earth (from the standpoint of the ability to shape the earth to our benefit and acquire the resources we need) yet its not because we are strong that we can do that, it’s because we are intelligent. If strength was the determining factor we should be able to TKO a gorilla if we wanted to, but strength is a relatively small part of what determines our “fitness”.
Likewise, for lions, strength is only one aspect of what makes a lion the most “fit.” I would also argue that, relatively speaking, it’s also one of the least necessary. It’s far more beneficial for lions to be fast, agile, stealthy, smart, and have sharp claws/teeth in order to catch their prey or compete with other lions than it is to have brute strength.
Brute strength would also impair agility, speed, and stealth. Compare the strength, speed, and agility of bodybuilders vs track stars. A track star is going to be much leaner than a body builder, but much faster and more agile. So there’s a tradeoff between strength and these other attributes, and since strength isn’t as important, it’s not what gets selected for, and if you got too strong you would probably be selected against.
Ultimately, lions are likely at their optimal level of strength. Just strong enough to apply that strength to their speed and attacks, but not so strong as to start limiting their speed, agility, and stealth.
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