Could trilobites have used their horns to fight for supremacy?

Trilobites, three-lobed animals that became extinct even before dinosaurs came into existence, may have been fighting it out over females hundreds of millions of years ago, say two British scientists.
The study by Rob Knell, a biologist at Queen Mary University of London and Richard Fortey of London''s Natural History Museum -- reported in the latest issue of the New Scientist magazine -- centred on a trilobite family called the raphiophorids, which lived in the Ordovician era, 488 to 444 million years ago.
The researchers say their conclusions also apply to the headgear of other trilobites, such as the magnificent trident borne by Walliserops trifurcates from the Devonian era, 417 to 354 million years ago.
Knell and Fortey noticed that some of the trilobites in the museum''s collection had horns on their heads similar to those of modern beetles. Male beetles use their horns to battle each other for supremacy, with the winner getting the opportunity to mate. The researchers wondered if the trilobites used their horns for the same purpose.
There were other possible explanations: (i) the horns had a protective function, (ii) they helped reduce turbulence while swimming, (iii) they were sensory feelers, and (iv) they helped camouflage the animal.
However, none of these explanations fitted with the shape and position of the horns. The most likely function was in combat between males over access to females, concludes the study.