New research on Monday contradicted the commonly held idea that males dominate females among primates, revealing far more nuanced power dynamics in the relationships of our close relatives.

  • solo@piefed.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    12 days ago

    I tend to agree with what you say but I feel like mentionning a couple of things I see perhaps differently.

    I believe saying marine mammals are a myth has nothing to do with claiming alpha males don’t exist. The first is about a biological classification, the latter is about observed (or projected) social behaviors within one species.

    Apart from that, and to my understanding, the manosphere has taken a hold of the alpha male narrative and expanded it far beyond the scientifically debunked myth. I do not imply that the fact that the alpha male myth has been debunked means that there are no hierarchical structures in species, just that when they are present, they are misrepresented in order to promote competitive narratives. This is why primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term ‘alpha male.’ Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an ‘alpha male’ really is – empathetic and protective.