We recently concluded a thread on the origin of the term "alpha male" for the top dog in a group of social animals. With help from other TIPSters, I came to the conclusion that its probable originator was the American zoologist W.C. Allee and it may first have appeared in his book _The Social Life of Animals_.
Now for something not so completely different. What if we ask a question, not about the top of the pecking order (itself a term invented somewhat earlier, attributed to the Norwegian zoologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe), but about its lower levels. Evolutionary biologists (e.g. Tim Clutton-Brock) have observed that when two wanna-be alpha males engage each other in combat, posturing and butting and roaring and such, a less-favoured member of their group can slip in and have his way with the ladies while the big boys are otherwise engaged. Having watched too many law programmes on TV, I know that you should never ask a question unless you already know the answer. In that spirit, I ask the following: What is the term evolutionary biologists use to describe such sneaky f*ckers and their strategy which exploits this failing by alpha males to out-compete them? And if that's too easy, then tell me who was the first to use the term, and where. Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: sbl...@ubishops.ca 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
