Homo Politicus - The most dangerous species on earth

The behaviors exhibited by politicians have much in common with some of our closest ape relatives. Like chimps, political big beasts will often use outright aggression to dominate weaker rivals.

Examples include former US President Donald Trump shoulder barging past other world leaders, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson giving overbearing hugs to his rivals, and Russian President Vladimir Putin horse riding shirtless in a display of backwoods machismo. 

These interactions are typically aimed at making contenders think twice about taking a shot at the crown. But a successful leader needs more than physical intimidation to become an alpha. He or she needs the political skill to build a support base and to hang on to it.