[Tribune7]

Wolves allow the alpha male and female first dibs at a kill, respecting, in a sense, their rights to that "property

So why are these characteristics necessary for survival? Crocodiles and cockroaches do just fine without them.

[Junior]

So why are these characteristics necessary for survival?

Note that these characteristics appear in social critters; for relatively weak animals, being part of a group increases one's chances of survival. These characteristics promote group, and hence individual, survival.