Animals attracting sexual partners

[Brian63]

Are there any other animals that to the same (or greater) extent as humans, place such a high priority on cosmetic appearance in order to attract sexual partners? I do not know if such a thing could be determined, or if I am misunderstanding the basics even. All help is welcome.

Humans go to great lengths for the large purposes of attracting mates, and that can include wearing certain suits or dresses, undertaking certain diet/exercise regimens, performing surgery, putting on makeup and perfumes, styling their hair, flirting, etc. Other species benefit when their members happen to attract partners and reproduce, but are their behaviors which have that result intentional or more of an unintentional side effect which natural selection happens to favor? What are some other examples of sentient animals resorting to such artificially cosmetic means to attract mates and doing so completely intentionally? Anything comparable, or are humans the most extreme example of it?

 

[untermensche]

You see some birds with incredibly elaborate mating rituals.

 

[bilby]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerbird

 

[rousseau]

I'd say sexual attraction in humans is more analogous to that of other animals than it is different. Yes we use clothing, but most of what attracts others to us is similarly unintentional. If we're classically healthy, fit, young, with social skills, someone, somewhere is going to want to sleep with us. The clothing we're wearing is usually just a reflection of our social or relationship status, and not something we go to great lengths to plan for.

Other animals signal their health in much the same way, those signals just come from their body alone versus body/clothing for us.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Ditto untermensche, especially with male birds having the bright color display in many a species. I think I've read that penguin males bring the bling to their mates -- sometimes shiny pebbles. On the other hand, male ducks just behave like bastards. The drakes I see at one of our local ponds just chase down their lady loves and piledrive them. It's actually disturbing to happen upon. Yikes.

 

[none]

Are there any other animals that to the same (or greater) extent as humans, place such a high priority on cosmetic appearance in order to attract sexual partners? I do not know if such a thing could be determined, or if I am misunderstanding the basics even. All help is welcome.

Humans go to great lengths for the large purposes of attracting mates, and that can include wearing certain suits or dresses, undertaking certain diet/exercise regimens, performing surgery, putting on makeup and perfumes, styling their hair, flirting, etc. Other species benefit when their members happen to attract partners and reproduce, but are their behaviors which have that result intentional or more of an unintentional side effect which natural selection happens to favor? What are some other examples of sentient animals resorting to such artificially cosmetic means to attract mates and doing so completely intentionally? Anything comparable, or are humans the most extreme example of it?

 

[untermensche]

A shiny pebble is not very different from a diamond ring.