Kneeling

Kneeling is a basic human position where one or both knees touch the ground. According to Merriam-Webster, kneeling is defined as "to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor".^[1] Kneeling with only one knee, and not both, is called genuflection.

Kneeling is a primate behavior used to convey deference by making the figure that is kneeling appear smaller than the other.^[2] Primates themselves establish a dominance hierarchy (or "pecking order") which is important to the survival and behavior of the group.^[3] Chimpanzees, for example, have a complex social group that involves a dominant male and a corresponding female, to whom the other males and the juvenile chimps are submissive.^[4] Males who threaten the hierarchy are often severely injured or killed;^[3] in some instances, the use of submissive behavior is necessary to ensure survival.