What It Is, and What It Aint: Alpha, Beta, Etc.
Recently, a commenter said something that indicated confusion about
what Alpha and beta status is. Because these terms are so commonly misused or used as insults or compliments in the wrong context, I thought it wise to clear things up. Readers of this site should not be confused.
Alpha is a term in biology that is used to describe the one who is the highest ranking in a particular group. He or she is the one the others defer to, and he has the greatest access to the group’s resources. This individual can be male or female. The alpha female is not necessarily
the counterpart of the alpha male. Some animals, such as the hyena, have an alpha female, and no alpha male. Male hyenas rank lower than the lowest ranking female by default. Some animals have what’s called an alpha pair, and they share dominance over their group.
(more…)


