3 ms·

Did you read the article? There is no “strongest, wisest, winner-of-battles wolf” in wild packs. There is only “daddy wolf” or “mommy wolf”.

• Gravyness 6y ago
  Exactly, daddy wolf and mommy wolf are alpha wolves. The issue is just who to assign the "alpha" term to: Alpha wolf is the top of the hierarchy, not the strongest. This post just wants to redefine the "top" wolf, because of specifics of his knowledge: that strength is not the defining factor of alpha wolves, which is fine, but it seems to be like a grammar nazi yelling "well, actually, it's spelled xxx". If a wolf can't keep up a fight then it is bound to be killed unless every time he gets into a fight 10 other wolves defend him, in which case he's not weak anymore: he won a numbers game, or a social game, whatever, in other words, he's strong, the because is irrelevant, but in this case it is because he probably has a family and/or is useful to other wolves. In the end, the alpha wolf is an alpha wolf because he's resourceful. It could be a purple wolf, maybe you want to call it monkey wolf, I don't care, he is still the 'top of the hierarchy' wolf and I will simplify this to "alpha".
  • ricc 6y ago
    > In the end, the alpha wolf is an alpha wolf because he's resourceful. I don't think so... In your context, it's simply alpha wolf = parent wolf, and not necessarily parent wolf = resourceful/strongest/wisest wolf. Most of the time, the "alpha wolves" just happened to be parents, nothing more, nothing less.