Primates are our closest relatives. In fact, we have much more in common with them than is commonly believed. A man, under all layers of civilization, education, etiquette, decency and other husks, remains the same primacy. This is indicated by instincts that are very similar in humans and monkeys. Even the desire to create a clear hierarchy is with us and our hairy relatives.
Monkey Hierarchy
Usually primates form small groups, within which a clear hierarchical ladder is built. The rights and opportunities that society gives to it depend on the stage at which this monkey is located. A particularly intense ranking struggle takes place between males, who always have something to share. Therefore, a hierarchy change in monkeys rarely occurs bloodless. Often you can rise higher only by a bloody coup.
Alpha male
Who is the main thing in the monkey community? The dominant role is usually played by an alpha male. It is he who has the right to be the first to start a meal and mate with any females that he liked. A dominant male may not care about food, as he is always able to take it away from a relative. He does not need to make a bed for himself at night, because it is much easier to drive another monkey out of a ready-made rookery. Some species have one dominant male in the group and several females forming a harem. There are monkeys who treat females as their property, not allowing them to even leave for a while. But such relations are far from all primates, many species live completely differently.
Herd hierarchy in monkeys. Types of Social Organization
The hierarchy of primates can vary significantly among themselves. What is the norm among one species of monkey is unacceptable among representatives of another species. Not all primates form communities, some of them lead a solitary lifestyle, except for the period when the female takes care of the cub. There are also monkeys that form strong pairs for life. Usually their last cub lives with them. Some species form groups of one male and several females. In them there is no one to challenge the dominant role of the dominant male. Sometimes such groups come together.
The most common form of association of primates is large groups in which there are dominant and subordinate males, as well as many females with cubs. In such cases, the hierarchy can be very different - from the despotic rule of one dominant male, to the whole vertical of power, where everyone stands on their own level. The social structure of chimpanzees is interesting. They do not form permanent alliances and often individuals freely move from one group to another, as necessary. Let's look at a couple of concrete examples of hierarchies in monkeys.
Gorillas
One of the classic examples of a strict hierarchy is built among gorillas. Usually they live in groups of not more than four adult males and not more than 12 females. In addition to them, young animals are present in the group, most of which will scatter upon reaching adulthood. Changing the hierarchy in monkeys of this species is extremely rare, since the dominant male is usually larger and stronger than other candidates for the leadership role.
Relations between the various groups of gorillas are quite tense. Usually their way of life is arranged so that each group lives on its territory, and meetings between representatives of different families are almost excluded. But in those cases when the meeting did take place, alpha males begin to show each other strength, make awesome sounds and make a formidable look. In this case, it rarely comes to a fight, since a battle between such strong animals can end badly for all of its participants.
Chimpanzee
The situation is very different for the most similar to primates humans - chimpanzees. They formed the most free and humane hierarchy among monkeys. Types of social organization of other species usually imply the complete dominance of some individuals over others, as well as a clear separation between different families. In a chimpanzee, it's not like that at all. They form their communities in certain sections of the jungle. In such a huge community of individuals familiar with each other, monkeys constantly move from one group to another, and some prefer a solitary lifestyle. But even a single person can temporarily join a group without any problems, if it is in his interests. Chimpanzees are not expelled by strangers, but calmly accepted into society. We can say that this species is distinguished by the friendliest herd hierarchy among monkeys.
Of course, chimpanzees also have a hierarchical pyramid, the top of which is occupied by the main male. However, in this case, although he can afford a lot, he does not do this, preferring friendly relations with his relatives. The same applies to food, which is often divided equally among all monkeys. With such a loyal attitude, a hierarchy change in monkeys of this species does not give significant bonuses. Of course, this type of interaction requires a rich system of conditioned signals, which are perfectly mastered by chimpanzees.
Amazing variety
As you noticed, monkeys have a wide variety of types of social hierarchy. Most likely, this is one of the ways to adapt to environmental conditions. It is proved that the social skills of monkeys are not innate. If the cub was raised in captivity, then he will not be able to immediately adapt in the group, as he is unfamiliar with social norms and special signals that parents teach their kids.
The introduction of an individual unfamiliar with the organization of society is unlikely to entail a change in the hierarchy of monkeys. A primate raised in captivity will have to adapt to the existing hierarchy or reap the bitter fruits of captivity. Thus, the social staircase of the monkey community will continue to delight zoologists with their amazing quirks, since there are no prerequisites for its change.