to their offspring and thus ensure higher survival rates. Amongst rhesus macaques, higher-ranking males sired more offspring, though the alpha male was never the one to sire the most offspring, with that instead being a high-ranking but not top male. The complex relationship between rank and reproduction in this species is likely explained by the fact that rhesus macaques queue for dominance, rather than fighting for it, meaning that the alpha male is not necessarily the strongest or most attractive male.

In rodents, the highest-ranking