We asked for natural world patterns that arise from a clear repetition of nearly identical shapes or colour values.

540,000 years ago one of our ancient hominid forbearers used a shark tooth to carefully incise a series of repeating geometric shapes into the surface of a mollusc shell. It’s about 300,000 years older than any other known artwork and therefore the earliest example of the use of repetition. In its modest way our Repeat Yourself challenge taps into this 5400-century long tradition. 

Asked to seek out such patterns in the natural world, our winner Amanda Keesing found a marvellously subtle repetition in the breast feathers of a Painted Button quail.

WINNER:  Breast feathers of a Painted Button quail, by Amanda Keesing.

Amanda has won a stylish Think Tank Retrospective ® Leather 5 Pinestone bag.

First Runner-Up Ingrid Makowski’s mirror-effect study of seagrass was similarly complex and delicate in its use of repetition.

FIRST RUNNER-UP:  Seagrass Reflections, by Ingrid Makowski.

Susan Shanta picked up an honourable mention for the way she contrasted the spiral pattern of a rolled leaf against those lines in the background.

HONOURABLE MENTION:  Spiral, by Susan Shanta.

Alan Knoepfler’s simply titled image invited our contemplation too.

HONOURABLE MENTION:  Nature Pattern 3, by Alan Knoepfler.