Science News highlighted an intriguing report on tile pattern design found in nature. Biologist John Nyakatura and colleagues at Humboldt University of Berlin examined tile-like patterns in various plants and animals. They aimed to discover ways to incorporate these biological tilings into bioinspired devices. They documented 100 examples in the journal PNAS Nexus.
The skin of an elephant has a tile-like pattern, with cracks and wrinkles that trap water and mud. This arrangement helps dissipate heat and cools the elephant. Butterfly wings use overlapping tiles arranged to display colors while repelling water and reducing drag during flight. The eye of a fly features a tile pattern made of closely packed rods, each transmitting an image to the brain, making it extremely difficult to swat the fly. Instead of bones, the cartilage skeletons of sharks and rays consist of thousands of individual tiles that grow as the animals mature.
Research shows that other living organisms also benefit from tile pattern design. The sunflower’s head consists of a tile-like pattern of tiny flowers called florets. By packing the florets in a tile-like structure, the sunflower becomes more attractive to pollinators. Studies of the HIV-1 virus reveal that it has a tiled protein shell that protects its genome. Armadillos are protected by overlapping tiles that provide stiffness while allowing them to roll into a ball. The earliest forms of life also used tiles, indicating that tiles did not evolve recently by chance. The fossilized shells of ancient cephalopods, known as ammonites, show squiggles along the edges of their shell’s tiles.
Understanding the usefulness of tile designs opens the door to significant new benefits for humanity. The more we study living things, the more we recognize God’s wisdom and planning. The statement in Romans 1:20 that “we can know there is a God through the things He has made” is supported by every scientific discovery.
— John N. Clayton © 2026
Reference: Science News for February 2026, Pages 8-9, and PNAS Nexus