How many faces do you see here? How many species? |
Our brains do funny things. From earliest infancy, we focussed on any two spots, looking for faces. And still, if there are two remotely similar spots in a pattern like this, they immediately become incorporated into yet another "face". Any markings below them become a mouth or maybe a beak.
I wonder; some butterflies, some caterpillars, and other critters wear two conspicuous spots, which serve as camouflage, making them look like a larger animal, or maybe fooling a predator into grabbing a disposable wing rather than the head. Is this another instance of pareidolia; like us seeing Jesus in our breakfast toast or the face on Mars?
Oh, and the last I looked, I saw 17 faces in that stump. Most were not human; quite a few are not even earthly. I'm lucky there aren't any collections of 8 spots, or I'd be seeing spider faces, too.
How intriguing!
ReplyDeleteNeat patterns!
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous piece of wood. What a story that growth pattern could tell. - Margy
ReplyDelete