A new study is challenging long-held beliefs about dominance in the animal kingdom, revealing that the image of the powerful “alpha male” is far from universal among primates. The research, which reviewed behavior across 121 species, suggests that the alpha male myth is debunked when examining how power is shared in primate societies.
Scientists found that the power between males and females is more fluid in most primate groups than previously believed. Strict male dominance, often used to justify human social structures, was seen in only a small portion of the species studied. The findings cast doubt on the idea that modern gender inequality is deeply rooted in our evolutionary past.
Behavioral ecologist Élise Huchard from the University of Montpellier led the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Huchard and her colleagues analyzed data from 253 earlier studies, focusing on real-world interactions between male and female primates, ranging from aggressive encounters to social signals that show submission.
Gender power balance is more equal than assumed
The researchers found that in about 70 percent of primate populations, neither males nor females consistently held dominance. Males were dominant in 17 percent of these populations, while females held dominance in 13 percent. Generally, most species display no definitive leader when considering sex.
“Male dominance is not a baseline, as was implicitly thought for a long time in primatology,” Huchard said in a phone interview. “It’s actually a beautiful continuum, and most species lie in the middle and are not strictly male- or female-dominant.”
One major factor that influenced female dominance was mating behavior. In species where females had more say in choosing partners—such as those that were monogamous or had little size difference between the sexes—females often held more power.
Tree-dwelling primates also leaned toward female dominance, possibly because the three-dimensional space makes it harder for males to exert control.
Rebecca Lewis, a biological anthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin who was not involved in the study, said the findings emphasize the importance of looking beyond physical strength.
“This study is part of a growing body of literature showing that when we think about power in animals as more than just who is biggest or baddest, when we recognize economic forms of power, such as the leverage that females derive from controlling reproduction, we find a wonderfully complex landscape of power,” she said.
Cultural idea of the “alpha male” rooted in flawed animal research
The idea of the alpha male first gained popularity through a 1970 book on wolves. Its author later admitted the term was misleading, especially when applied to wild wolves. Despite that, the label has spread into popular culture and politics, used to represent a certain kind of dominant masculinity.
While the study helps break down the alpha male myth, some experts urge caution in drawing direct links to human society. Nicholas Newton-Fisher, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Kent, pointed out that primates are diverse and shouldn’t be grouped too broadly. He noted that humans belong to a branch—alongside apes and some monkeys—where male dominance is more common.
Still, Huchard said the study offers little evidence that today’s gender inequalities are inherited from our primate ancestors. Instead, the results suggest early human societies may have been more equal than modern ones.