Accordingly, arguments presenting human patriarchy as a primate legacy appear misguided, and gender relations should be considered in relation to their social and ecological contexts.

David Graeber from beyond the grave: I fuckin told yall

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

Wasn't this shit not true from the get-go? not even to the wolves the whole idea came from?

[–] mriswith@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

In the original studies they threw a bunch of adult wolves from different packs into a small enclosure. Then reported the fight for dominance as if it was how they normally act in nature. Most packs in nature are just a mom and a dad with kids from the last 2-3 years, who usually leave on their own.

[–] mienshao@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Yep. David Mech is the one who basically coined the term “alpha wolf” based on an early study, and has since spent years of his career retracting that theory and explaining that male wolves do not fight for dominance in nature.

[–] AlphaOmega@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yes. This is why when someone tells you they're an alpha male, you know they are really just an idiot

[–] vovo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago

Debunking the “Alpha Male” Myth: What Wolves Really Teach Us About Social Hierarchies

[–] ApollosArrow@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Goes in line with a recent video I watched about this, and goes into the original study that sparked the whole Alpha Male thing. https://youtu.be/kpvpadX5mwM