Seeker of Patterns

Like adults, kids become pattern seekers. It’s a good evolutionary technique to try and understand what’s happening (or going to happen) in the world around us. Sure, it is not fool proof, but it works enough times to be considered useful.

This kids’ book titled Why? used that pattern seeking tendency to amusing effect:

1)      Why do zebras have stripes? Camouflage.

2)     Why do leopards, jaguars and cheetahs have spots? Camouflage.

3)     Can animals change their spots? Yes, arctic fox (brown fur in summer to white fur in winter); octopus and squid (they can change to look like rocks or coral). Why? Camouflage.

4)     Why do polar bears have white fur? Camouflage.

5)     Why are flamingos pink?

I am guessing you, like my daughter, answered with a weary get-on-with-it “Camouflage” to the last question. Unlike my daughter though, I am also guessing you did not say that they were pink to appear like lotuses to predators.

Wrong, said the book triumphantly, with that caught-you-sleeping tone (I imagine). Flamingos are born with drab feathers:

“As they age, the flamingo’s plumage turns pink from the bacteria and a vitamin-rich pigment call beta-carotene in the bird’s shrimp-filled diet.”

The book followed all this up with a “Silly Question, Serious Answer” section: Would my skin color change if I ate like a flamingo? My daughter was intrigued since she loves (eating) shrimp. Yes, said the book, all beta-carotene rich food (including shrimp and carrots) cause a condition that causes the skin to take on a yellowish tint. Of course, it added, you need to eat a lot for that to happen.

Days later, when my daughter was told to eat her carrots, she tried to wriggle out of it saying she didn’t want to become like a flamingo.

I agree, munchkin, it’s so hard to keep track of when pattern matching works and when it goes for a six… flamingos are not pink for camouflage, shrimp rich diet makes flamingos pink but us humans yellow, and the quantity that qualifies as “a lot” is so different when applied to carrot v/s chocolates...