Even every one that is called by My name:
for I have created him for My glory,
I have formed him;
yea, I have made him.
Isaiah 43:7
"Humans are drawn to patterns and hierarchies in nature, mimicking them particularly in decoration and architecture. Natural patterns, however, are never purely esthetic and, since evolution works on a variety of factors simultaneously, natural structural systems are intrinsically multifunctional. In order to understand the roles that structural patterns play in biology (and therefore their potential capabilities and utilization in design, architecture and engineering),
we need to catalog and encapsulate the diversity of examples and the materials involved. Here, we provide a first classification of biological “tilings,” tessellated natural architectures that involve the repeated pattern of geometric, discrete elements bound by a joint material. By examining 100 examples across the Tree of Life, we reveal this natural structural motif is unexpectedly prevalent: we cover a huge taxonomic diversity, eight orders of magnitude in size scale, and myriad morphologies and functions ranging from optics to armor, allowing us to construct a hierarchical system of eight variables to classify form, function, and materiality in biological tilings."
From their investigation of these 100 examples, they created a database “as a multidisciplinary meeting point (e.g. for biologists, designers, engineers, architects)” that could be used “exploring selective pressures and trade-offs and a launchpad for future research and collaborative, cross-disciplinary, bioinspired projects.”
Q: How does their project impinge on questions of Darwinism vs. design?
Q: Is there any conceivable “selective pressure” for tiled patterns?
Q: And wouldn’t consideration of trade-offs presuppose the foresight to choose the best set of options?
From well-known examples, we can evaluate potential functional benefits of tessellation that — for whatever reason — we humans find attractive. Beehive hexagons (made by bees but external to their bodies) are stackable, using the least amount of beeswax and the greatest area. Some butterfly scales produce optical effects for mimicry or mate attraction. The overlapping scales on armadillos and some reptiles and arthropods maintain mobility for the animal while shielding the interior. The possible functions of biological tiles are listed in the database:
Structural support
Shielding
Surface interaction (adhesion, grip)
Sensing
Separation (regulating inside/outside flux)
Mobility (e.g., armored animals that roll)
Optic (e.g., structural color)
It should be noted that function and beauty are not mutually exclusive. Human architectural projects, including concert halls, bridges, and art galleries often exhibit both.A functional advantage does not confer upon an organism the desire or power to innovate a solution providing the advantage. Darwinian innovations, remember, are based on chance variations, not foresight. In his new book False Messiah, Neil Thomas discusses at length how Darwin’s chance-based theory deified “Mother Nature” as Lady Luck with imagined causal powers to engineer any advantageous variation."
David Coppedge
