Why is the wolf pack ordered in a strict hierarchy??

Question

Why? Must they be ordered in it?

Answer 1

The heirarchy in a wolf pack is important because it lets each wolf know where it stands in relation to the others. This means that conflict over food, mating and so on can be resolved without the need for physical violence. Wolves are intensely social animals that must rely on each other at all times, so communication and staying on good terms with each other are essential. They prey upon animals up to ten times larger than they are, which one wolf alone could never hope to kill - to feed themselves, they must work together as a co-ordinated team. They also defend their territory and raise their young as a unit.

Wolves maintain their heirarchy using body language and facial expressions in displays of dominance and submission. A dominant wolf will stand tall, holding its tail high and head up, with ears pricked. A submissive wolf holds its body low, with tail tucked between the hind legs and ears flattened. As a gesture of complete submission, it will roll over on its back, exposing its vulnerable underside.

A wolf pack is led by a dominant pair called the alpha male and female, who are the only ones to breed. The male is usually, but not always, the more dominant of the two, and as such is the ultimate pack leader. The rest of the pack is made up of the alpha pair's siblings and/or offspring. Below them in the heirarchy is a 'second-in-command' known as the beta wolf, who is subordinate only to the alphas and is dominant to all other members of the pack. Then come mid-ranked wolves, whose status is fluid - for example, one might be dominant over another at all times except when feeding, when it submits to the other. At the bottom of the heap is the omega wolf, the lowest-ranked individual, who submits to all other members of the pack.

Dominance among wolves is more about strength of character than strength of body. Being large and strong does not mean a wolf will have a high rank - in one pack I studied, the omega wolf was the largest in the pack. He simply had a very timid and yielding personality. Dominant wolves will be those which are confident and assertive, regardless of their size - a small confident wolf easily dominates a large timid one.

Answer 2

Boy this would take pages to answer fully.  

In a nutshell...

The alpha pair are the parents.  The dominant male and dominant female.  Most other wolves are their offspring except for the occasional aunt or uncle.  These animals are not literally the aunts and uncles just a term used for a wolf that joins the pack from somewhere else.  Only the dominant or alpha pair are allowed to mate.  This creates a tight bond with a clear cut social structure essential in a predatory pack animal that uses coordinated hunting attacks.

BTW aunts and uncles are always the lowest animal in the pack social order unless an alpha dies and the new alpha takes one of them for a mate in which case they become alpha as well.

You may e-mail me if you need more info.