What role do modern researchers attribute to the breeding pair in a Canis lupus pack structure?
Parents responsible for reproduction and directing group activities.
Modern research approaches to wolf pack dynamics view the breeding pair not primarily as aggressive conquerors of dominance, but rather as the core reproductive unit, analogous to parents in a family structure. They are recognized as the leaders because they are the adults responsible for reproduction within the group. This leadership role involves directing the overall movement patterns of the pack and orchestrating group activities, such as hunting expeditions. This contrasts with older literature that often emphasized the alpha status being gained strictly through acts of aggression rather than established parental responsibility within the extended family unit that constitutes the pack.

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