Battles between rival groups are a story as old as time. This sounds like a human story, but it is also one that is playing out across nature.

Conflict between groups of animals competing for territory and resources is widespread, and contests between animals can be dangerous. Getting ambushed, especially by a larger or more powerful group, can have disastrous consequences.

However, conflict is sometimes unavoidable.

Emerging research shows war preparations are not a trait unique to humans.

A new article by my colleagues and I highlights how many of the same principles apply to animals too, and not just in our closest relatives like apes. We reviewed the literature and found examples throughout the animal kingdom of animals preparing for future conflicts. This behaviour probably explains how animals persist in the face of often intense conflict.

Animals may sense the recent presence of their rivals. Many species, such as dwarf mongooses, leave scent marks to advertise their presence, and react to those laid down by rival groups. Others animals may rely on their memories of past conflict to change their behaviour in situations they deem risky, such as at territory edges or contested resources.

There can be sex differences in how animals approach conflict. Vervet........

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