Very specific factors must fall into place before weapon evolution launches into one of these races, and it turns out that the same special circumstances triggering arms races in animals also prompt humans to manufacture bigger and bigger weapons. … Analogous circumstances even bring about their collapse, as huge weapons come crashing down and the race dissolves. Ultimately, we'll see that our animal counterparts can teach us a surprising amount about ourselves.

Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evoluti…, loc. 17