Every four years some of the fittest and most highly trained members of our species compete to become Olympic champions, in events that test their bodies to their biological limit. But suppose we staged a similar tournament for other animals, selectedfor the advantages conferred by their evolutionary adaptations. What would the UK's team of top animal athletes look like? And how would they fare against their human counterparts? Contrasting the strength of a wood ant with that of a medal-winning human weightlifter is, of course, not scientifically valid. Laws of geometry dictate that the volume - and, therefore, mass - of an animal increases much faster than the power of its muscles; an ant the size of Homo sapiens couldn't lift its own legs. Nevertheless, the comparison is a fun way to celebrate Britain's amazing animal athletes.
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