AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Social groups are commonly structured as a dominance hierarchy based on a ranking system whereby higher-ranked individuals have better access to valuable resources such as food and mates but they also tend to assume greater responsibilities in providing leadership and maintaining order.

Detailed explanation-2: -The position of an individual in the hierarchy is determined by factors such as: Sex (males tend to be more dominant), size, age, health & fitness, experience (e.g. knowledge of the area), ability to produce offspring and kin alliances (relatedness to other more dominant individuals).

Detailed explanation-3: -In biology, a dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social groups interact, creating a ranking system. A dominant higher-ranking individual is sometimes called an alpha, and the submissive lower-ranking individual a beta.

Detailed explanation-4: -pecking order, Basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank.