Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Alpha males has been a part of animal (including human) psychology for millions of years.


The concept of "alpha" leaders, especially as derived from wolf pack behavior, has been largely debunked. It was based on faulty research.


There are still hierarchies. Both male and female hierarchies are present in primates. It's not alpha and the rest, it's the whole alphabet and each level dominates the next.

Whenever the hierarchies are unestable primates can behave very violently. Hierarchies preserve status quo and reduce violence.

Also, the studies done with Bonobos were flawed as well, because they were only studied in captivity. Bonobos when free are only a bit less aggressive than chimpanzees, and they don't avoid all violence by using sex.


tell me more. I wasn't really thinking of wolf-pack behavior, but rather most primates.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: