The ritual lives of animals are of interest to
paleoanthropologists, as they provide a convenient insight into how religious belief systems may have developed in our ancestors. "The skeletal remains of
Cro-Magnon man are found buried in the fetal position in line with the primitive myth that such a position facilitates rebirth. The study of allied behaviours in non-human animals provides an opportunity to understand their nature and function in man." Indeed, some have seen superficial similarities between the funeral rituals of African elephants and the
burial rituals of
Neanderthals. Evolutionary psychologist Matt Rossano has theorised that religion evolved in three stages: In the
pre-Upper Palaeolithic, religion was characterised by
ecstatic rituals used to facilitate social bonding. Later,
shamanic healing rituals developed in the
Upper Palaeolithic. Finally, religious expressions developed over time to include
cave art, ritual artefacts,
ancestor worship and the development of myth and moral structures. If this is true, then the behaviour of chimpanzees witnessed by Goodall may be interpreted as similar to pre-Upper Paleolithic Human religion. However, De Waal notes that
bonobos show no evidence of ritual behaviour yet are extremely peaceful and demonstrate
moral agency. This casts doubt on the co-development of
morality and
proto-religion. ==See also==