The Alpha Male: Chimpanzees vs. Humans


Anna Siegel
Mr. Roddy
IHSS
2 December, 2018
The Alpha Male: Chimpanzees vs. Humans
In human society, basic governments and rules of leadership are established within different communities around the world. As people who research animals, we typically assume ourselves as part of an elite society, with more advanced mental capacity than those of animals around us. However, in a TED talk titled “The Surprising Science of Alpha Males,” speaker Frans de Waal utilizes examples from chimpanzee societies to show that we are more similar to animals, specifically our primate predecessors, then we might instinctually believe. One major common device that ties together both humans and chimpanzees is that members of both species tend to rely on a leader, typically someone who assumes the position of Alpha Male. As a viewer, I initially assumed that the roots of an alpha male in animal societies like that of the chimpanzee, the biggest, meanest, representative of the species would be selected to fulfill said position. However, after listening to Waal’s conclusions on the subject, my previous opinions and theories quickly changed.
A concept that humans hold within their society is that of unity. As people, we group with people who we not only believe are strong or smart enough to protect us, but who we like and agree with as a person. Despite the instinctual opinion that chimpanzees don’t necessarily have the capacity to share these feelings, the primary factors that lead to the selection of an alpha both depend on the mental factors that a male chimpanzee utilizes to escalate in rank. The most crucial method a male chimpanzee must use if he wants to ascend in power is to make close friends. Traditional theories believe that if there are two chimps who both wish to become alpha, the stronger of the two would become the leader. However, further research shows that it does not matter if Chimp A is stronger than Chimp B, but if Chimp A’s combined efforts of him and his friends could physically overpower those of Chimp B’s. A weaker, smaller chimp could defeat a larger chimp, if his friends happen to be more powerful. When compared to our own government, these principles can all be reflected in who we call a leader in our everyday lives. Though democratic principles in chimpanzee societies aren’t necessarily evolved as those in ours, our biological labels of the “Alpha Male” prove that we aren’t as different as one might think.

 Link to TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPsSKKL8N0s

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