Let's begin with a parable. It is early morning on the East African savanna, and a troop of sleeping baboons begins to stir. The troop has been sequestered overnight at a nesting site (the jagged face of an ancient rift) that is well protected from various carnivore enemies. But now the troop - comprising about 30 males, females, juveniles, and infants – is getting ready to split into smaller “clans” (or sometimes larger “bands”) and set off together on their daily food quest. (It's dangerous for baboons to travel alone in open country.) Each clan/band will cover several miles, before returning by nightfall to the safety of its sleeping site.

The leader of one of these groups is a large, confident alpha male that has earned his job the old-fashioned way. He bears a number of battle scars from the formidable canines of his rivals, not to mention some violent conflicts with rival troops.