Triceratops

Triceratops was the most successful large herbivore of the late Cretaceous — abundant, widely distributed, and exquisitely adapted. Its three horns and massive frill were long assumed to be defensive armour against Tyrannosaurus. Recent research suggests they were primarily sexual selection displays and social signaling structures, used to attract mates and establish dominance within herds rather than to fight predators. This reframing matters: Triceratops invested enormous biological resources into competitive signaling within its own species, not defence against external threats. The K-Pg extinction revealed the cost of this specialisation. Triceratops had co-evolved with specific Cretaceous plant communities, developing jaw mechanics and dental batteries optimised for particular vegetation. When the asteroid impact destroyed those food sources, the very adaptations that made Triceratops dominant became fatal liabilities. The business parallel is precise: companies that over-optimise for current market conditions — Blockbuster for physical retail, Kodak for chemical film, Intel for x86 architecture — build formidable competitive moats that become death traps when the environment shifts.