Alpha Wolf facts

While investigating facts about Alpha Wolf, I found out little known, but curios details like:

The Dr who popularised the idea of "Alpha" and "Beta" members of wolf packs has spent the rest of his career trying to convince everyone he was wrong.

The study that yeilded the concept of the alpha wolf (commonly used by people to justify aggressive behaviour) originated in a debunked model using just a few wolves in captivity. Its originator spent years trying to stop the myth to no avail.

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 13 of the best facts about Alpha Wolf I managed to collect.

1. There is no such thing as an "alpha" in a wolf pack. Wolf packs operate more like human families: there is no defined sense of rank, parents are in charge until the young grow up, younger wolves don't overthrow an "alpha" to become the new leader, and social dominance fights are situational

2. Wolf packs do not have an "alpha wolf", nor do younger wolves "overthrow" the leader.

3. There is no concept of an 'Alpha' Wolf in the wild and that a wolf pack is nothing but two parents along with their younger cubs

4. The Dr who popularised the idea of "Alpha" and "Beta" members of wolf packs has spent the rest of his career trying to convince everyone he was wrong..

5. Wolves in the wild do not have "alpha males" or "alpha females" with subordinate "betas" or "gammas". Wolf packs are a family with the offspring of previous years.

6. Only leaders of the pack mate (alpha male and female). Female gives birth to 2 to 3 pups (or rarely up to 12) during the spring. Pups are blind, deaf and helpless at birth. They spend first couple of months hidden inside a den. At the age of 3 months, young Arctic wolves are ready to join the pack together with their mother.

7. Wolves live in family oriented social structure called packs. They are composed of alpha male and female and their offspring. Packs can have more than 10 animals.

8. "alpha dogs" are a myth and was only observed in a captive wolf population.

9. Although pack of wolves has many sexually mature animals, only leaders of the pack (alpha male and female) can mate. This method prevents rapid rise in the number of young animals and uncontrolled expansion of the pack that may lead to starvation.

10. The Dr who popularised the idea of "Alpha" and "Beta" members of wolf packs has spent the rest of his career trying to convince everyone he was wrong

What is true about alpha wolf?

You can easily fact check it by examining the linked well-known sources.

The concept of "Alpha Males" in wolf packs is outdated and proven false. Young males just go to find a female to breed with and start their own families, and males don't "fight for dominance" of a pack.