Kneeling is a basic human position where one or both knees touch the ground. Kneeling is defined as “to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor,” according to Merriam-Webster. Kneeling when only composed of one knee, and not both, is called genuflection.

Kneeling is a primate behavior used to convey deference by making the figure kneeling look smaller than the other. Primates themselves establish pecking orders that are important to the survival and behavior of a group. Chimpanzees, for example, have a complex social group that involves a dominant male and corresponding female with the other submissive males and juvenile chimps. Males who threaten the hierarchy are often severely injured or killed; thus the use of submissive behavior is necessary in order to ensure survival in some instances.