pecking order

pecking order
1. Animal Behav. a dominance hierarchy, seen esp. in domestic poultry, that is maintained by one bird pecking another of lower status.
2. a sequence or hierarchy of authority in an organization or social group.
Also, peck order.
[1925-30]

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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.

For groups of mammals (e.g., baboon, wolf) or other birds, the term "dominance hierarchy" is usually used, and the ranking often involves feeding or mating.

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Universalium. 2010.

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