What is an example of an animal that conducts ceremonies?

Answer 1

Humans are animals and conduct ceremonies but if you mean an example of animals - or birds that do ceremonial displays, the Satin Bower Bird of Australia makes a display that looks vaguely like a short corridor of long grass, surrounded by cleared ground, then he collects blue items, pen tops, plastic milk bottle tops, etc and then he dances, whilst his potential mate looks over his display and IF it's good enough, he gets to mate and the nest building is done somewhere else. The peacock strutting with tail displayed, is another example of ceremonial displays. Most male mammals will present themselves in an attempt to look bigger, stronger, healthiest or most agile. for mating and there are also displays made by mammals, birds, reptiles, etc to either announce their bid to challenge the top male or BY the top male, to warn a new or younger male. that it will be confronted if it does not back away or leave. These displays aren't as obvious as the often extraordinary visual displays of birds and perhaps challenge the definition of ceremonial display to those not studying animals but those who do research species can often tell you that ceremonial displays are often used in an attempt to bluff or warn off a potential challenger. There is a pattern and ritual to the use of body position or noise, which is used to lessen the actual fights that can result in wounds or death and if nothing else, is a great drain on energy of both animals, so that one animal will back down, after displays and /or lots of noise, rather than actually physically attack.