An alternative approach to understanding dominance hierarchies and territorial behaviour in animals: Relationships of dominance and submission in Serengeti spotted-hyenas, and territorial plasticity in male American Rubyspot damselflies. Interpretations of observed patterns of dominant and submissive behaviours in social animals continue largely to be based upon suppositions concerning the primacy of assertive mechanisms in ensuring preferential supply of resources to powerful individuals. First, I explore the representation and misrepresentation of dominant-subordinate relationships so far documented. I also discuss the emergence of social structure in female Serengeti spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and introduce the notion of a gradient to describe 'places of relationship' conventionally termed rank. Social formations in Serengeti female spotted hyenas are crucial to the coherence of their social relationships, since these patterns may have an important role in the obviation of damaging conflicts and enhancement of possibilities for resource distribution and redistribution within the organization. I then go on to describe another study conducted in Mexico on territorial behaviour in male American Rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina americana). Territorial boundaries in this species are extremely flexible and vary depending on a variety of factors including sunlight, density and fat reserves. I propose that territorial plasticity enables identities to adjust to intrinsic and external changes in circumstances.