Animalistic Innovations

The Wing of the Fruit Fly

'Like butterflies, different species of fruit flies decorate their wings with a great diversity of spots and patterns. Digging deep into a single gene that produce pigmentation in the flies, a group led by UW-Madison biologist Sean Carroll has found the molecular switches that control where the pigmentation is deployed. The finding explains how common genes can be controlled to produce the seemingly endless array of patterns, decoration and body architecture found in animals.' - University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bowerbird Installations

The male bowerbirds will build a bower, a "bachelor pad", to attract mates. Bowers differ, depending on the species. It is a circle of cleared earth and can consist of a small pile of twigs in the middle or of a more complex structure made of sticks and leaves, resembling a small hut. The male bowerbird will decorate the bower by placing brightly colored objects in and around it. He will spend hours arranging up to hundreds of objects which can include flowers, feathers, shells, stones, berries, coins, discarded plastic items, and pieces of glass. They are placed in a specific spot and if one was to be moved out of place while he is gone, he will put it back where it belonged when he returns. - Source

Caddisfly

Since the early 1980s, artist Hubert Duprat has been utilizing insects to construct some of his "sculptures." By removing caddis fly larvae from their natural habitat and providing them with precious materials, he prompts them to manufacture cases that resemble jewelers' creations. Information theory, as explained by biologists such as Jacques Monod and Henri Atlan, helps us understand what seems to be the insect's aesthetic behavior. The activities of the caddis worm, as manipulated by Hubert Duprat, are prompted by the "noise"---beads, pearls and 18-karat gold pieces---introduced by the artist into the insect's environment. Source.