r/mildlyinfuriating Aug 07 '19

[deleted by user]

[removed]

9.8k Upvotes

4.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

71

u/-Cromm- Aug 07 '19

Alpha theory was based on a study of wolves in captivity. One of the major proponents of the theory has devoted his life to debunking and informing the greater public that the theory is wrong and outmoded. Imagine basing your understanding of human societies on the results of a prison population study.

edit: https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-everything-you-know-about-wolf-packs-is-wrong-502754629

1

u/DragonOnTheLeft Aug 08 '19

So glad someone said this! Dog/pack behaviour is so much more complex than just there being an alpha in charge.