Why does life keep developing these geometric patterns?

Why does life keep developing these geometric patterns?

By Anirban Mukhopadhyay Edited by Sarah Levin Frazier

The mirror spider can rapidly move pieces of microscopic reflective plates down the outer surface of its abdomen, changing the pattern of the mirror-like glow. This unusual display comes from common building blocks: similar tile-like arrangements of plates and soft joints appear in the tree of life from turtle shells to tropical fruit peels. Researchers have now compiled 100 examples of this pattern in animals, plants, microbes and viruses, which they describe In PNAS Nexus,

Study co-author Mason Dean, a biologist at the City University of Hong Kong, first noted a regular tile pattern in micro computed tomography scans of the ray skeleton. They were surprised to discover that what looked like pixelated granules was actually a mosaic of tiny hexagons and pentagons packed edge to edge in the cartilage. Zoologist Jana Ciesierska-Holmes of Humboldt University of Berlin, also a co-author, began looking for examples of tiles and was surprised to find intricate interlocking plates on the outer coating of millet seeds. He and his colleagues set out to determine how widespread such tiling patterns were.

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The researchers focused on true tessellations, in which geometric tiles are discrete structural pieces separated by soft seams, rather than purely visual or hollow patterns, such as animal colors or honeycombs. To compare such systems in very different organisms, he created a framework that described what different natural tiles are made of, what they’re shaped like, how they connect, and what they do. The results reveal structural similarities in many organisms without any shared ancestry.

The researchers found that chitons evolved artificial shell plates, while sharks evolved tessellated cartilage – two tiled structures that arose independently in distant evolutionary lineages – and microscopic amoebas constructed architecturally similar protective coverings from cleaned-up mineral tiles. Other types tile the lenses of insect eyes and form corky plate patterns in the elephant’s foot plant. In all states, the same basic layout helps animals see, move, and protect their bodies.

Repetition demonstrates how geometry and evolution push organisms toward similar solutions. For example, predominantly six-sided patterns such as sharks and rays are an excellent way to efficiently cover curved surfaces. Dean also notes that tile boundaries often align with areas where new cells are added during development, allowing tissues to function with expansion. At the same time, the pairing of hard tiles and soft seams balances stiffness and flexibility, says zoologist Stanislav Gorb of Kiel University, who was not involved in the study. “A very rigid structure is good for resisting forces but bad for generating motion.”

The author hopes their online list It becomes a living resource to help people recognize these patterns in the organisms and structures they study. “Once you start paying attention to it, you see it everywhere,” says Dean. Ciesierska-Holmes agrees: “You’re kind of dropped into a world of tessellations.”

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