Spot the Alpha

[Tictac]

 

[logicallefty]

I'm going to take a guess and say the one in the back because he is watching over and protecting the rest of them.

 

[Tictac]

The first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed. Then come 5 strong ones, the front line. In the center are the rest of the pack members, then the 5 strongest following. Last is alone, the alpha. He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the direction. He sees all of the pack. The pack moves according to the elders pace and help each other, watch each other.

 

[CuddleJunkie]

The first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed. Then come 5 strong ones, the front line. In the center are the rest of the pack members, then the 5 strongest following. Last is alone, the alpha. He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the direction. He sees all of the pack. The pack moves according to the elders pace and help each other, watch each other.

Did you just make this up or are they this organized? If so it's amazing.

 

[Tictac]

Did you just make this up or are they this organized? If so it's amazing.

It's what they do.

 

[Bible_Belt]

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...pack-leadership-what-does-it-really-mean/4947
Decades of observation by wildlife biologists of free-ranging wolf packs have revealed startling insight into the lives of these majestic canids. For instance, seasoned leaders of wolf packs actually survey from near the back of the pack when traveling, rather than taking the lead position. Also, in times of scarcity, the leaders allow the young to eat first, rather than feeding themselves first. Wolf behavior experts, such as L. David Mech, have dedicated their lives to observing wolves in their natural state. Some interesting observations include: There is an absence of reports of wolves seeking high positions over the pack, there are no signs of a leader rousting a subordinate from a desired resting place, and an alpha wolf rarely initiates pinning (a dominance behavior). These experts who study wolf behavior describe the role of the wolf leaders as parents— guiding, teaching, and caring for their pack members. When the wolf offspring mature, they do not compete to overthrow the pack leader; instead, they leave the pack, find a mate, and start a family of their own. A parent-family model better describes wolf-wolf relationships than a competitive hierarchy model.

 

[Tictac]

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...pack-leadership-what-does-it-really-mean/4947
Decades of observation by wildlife biologists of free-ranging wolf packs have revealed startling insight into the lives of these majestic canids. For instance, seasoned leaders of wolf packs actually survey from near the back of the pack when traveling, rather than taking the lead position. Also, in times of scarcity, the leaders allow the young to eat first, rather than feeding themselves first. Wolf behavior experts, such as L. David Mech, have dedicated their lives to observing wolves in their natural state. Some interesting observations include: There is an absence of reports of wolves seeking high positions over the pack, there are no signs of a leader rousting a subordinate from a desired resting place, and an alpha wolf rarely initiates pinning (a dominance behavior). These experts who study wolf behavior describe the role of the wolf leaders as parents— guiding, teaching, and caring for their pack members. When the wolf offspring mature, they do not compete to overthrow the pack leader; instead, they leave the pack, find a mate, and start a family of their own. A parent-family model better describes wolf-wolf relationships than a competitive hierarchy model.

Your narrative is why I put this photo on here BB. Most of what is described as 'alpha' around here has nothing to do with dominant leadership or the great responsibility that comes with the great power of being the alpha leader. It's more about prancing around and being a douche, a cartoon of what it is to be an alpha male.

 

[Who Dares Win]

Your narrative is why I put this photo on here BB. Most of what is described as 'alpha' around here has nothing to do with dominant leadership or the great responsibility that comes with the great power of being the alpha leader. It's more about prancing around and being a douche. It's a cartoon of what it is to be an alpha male.

True, many people confuse leadership with dominance...guidance with brute force.

The truth is that most people cant really recognize the value of others or refuse to do so, therefore in order for them to follow someone it takes them to be forced to in many cases.

Think of many good men working as beasts to climb the social ladder, buy a house and make sure their family have any possible need met while tolerating rants and abuse from wife and kids for the common good only to be destroyed in a court.

Think instead of a loser who spends his time smoking drugs and beating his wife while forcing her to be the breadwinner, this second guy is surely more obeyed than the first one while we all know which one of the two qualifies as a leader.

 

[ChrisFloyd]

True, many people confuse leadership with dominance...guidance with brute force.

The truth is that most people cant really recognize the value of others or refuse to do so, therefore in order for them to follow someone it takes them to be forced to in many cases.

Think of many good men working as beasts to climb the social ladder, buy a house and make sure their family have any possible need met while tolerating rants and abuse from wife and kids for the common good only to be destroyed in a court.

Think instead of a loser who spends his time smoking drugs and beating his wife while forcing her to be the breadwinner, this second guy is surely more obeyed than the first one while we all know which one of the two qualifies as a leader.

And there is a third guy.. There is always a third guy...

Evaluating wolves' behavior through the lens of human's logic, and we may learn nothing but go around a circle. That's what they do, and maybe they do it for entirely different reasons than we think.
Besides, who says that every alpha wolf is the same. Some are more mellow. Some are more aggressive. Some lead. Some force. They are different. Just like human.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

Different animals organize themselves in different ways. Chickens have pecking orders. Pigs and vampire bats practice reciprocity. Primates practice alpha dominance. Chimps and bamboons have a high correlation between social status and food/sex. Lionesses have "moochers" that almost never lead the hunt but always get an equal amount of food with every kill.

All different.

 

[Sprayarc]

Off the top of my head without reading other replies, it's the one in the rear. Because first any attack from the rear he's the first to fight second he keeps an eye on every one else.