Display behavior

Display behavior is the tendency of living things to express actions or formations, it is thought, for competitive advantage.

Contents

1 Among animals 2 Among plants 3 Among humans 4 In human cultures

Among animals

Thus animals such as the male bowerbird may build nests to attract female bowerbirds.

Among plants

Plants may form flowers, whose net effect is to attract pollinating insects or birds. Thus some plants and some animals exhibit a form of coevolution with each other.

Among humans

Humans might select clothing or affect types of speech in order to attract attention.

In human cultures

The big men of Papua would stage elaborate feasts to show the extent of their influence and power. The potlatches of the Pacific Northwest were held for much of the same effect.