When it comes to winning mates, larger horns are an asset for male Soay
sheep. But those that grow them may be putting their young lives on the
line, according to a study published online on 15 May in Current Biology, a
publication of Cell Press.

The new findings show that allocation of resources to horn growth can spell
the sheep's premature demise if the environment takes a turn for the worse.

'We find that large horns decrease males' first-year survival when
environmental conditions are poor,' said lead author Matthew Robinson of the
University of Edinburgh. 'Therefore, in an unpredictable environment, high
allocation to early horn growth is a gamble, the pay-offs of which depend on
the environmental conditions an individual encounters during its first year
of life.'


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