Fibonacci Numbers and Flower Petals.

[SexayMistahBee]

In everyday life, we see that the numbers of petals of a lot of flowers are of the Fibonacci numbers. Sorry if that didn't make sense, so I'll give an example:

there are the Fibonacci numbers
1,1,3,5,8,13,21 ... and a lot of flowers have that many flower petals.

I guess that these are the remaining genotype and phenotype from natural selection, as insects pollinated these flowers more than those that do not follow the Fibonacci sequence.

My question is, why do insects like this sequence so much?

thanks

 

Insects aren't attracted to how many petals a plants has, they're attracted to the colour.

 

[SexayMistahBee]

Insects aren't attracted to how many petals a plants has, they're attracted to the colour.

then why do the majority of numbers of petals of many flowers fit the fibonacci sequence?

 

[Sypherz]

It is kind of facinating but I don't think it has to do with insects. Who knows.. it's a mystery.

 

[SexayMistahBee]

It is kind of facinating but I don't think it has to do with insects. Who knows.. it's a mystery.

haha, I'm just hoping that there's some scientific evolution related theories on this.

 

[Emperor Nero]

thanks but I'm not asking for your opinions, I'm asking what you know about this subject.
Don't forget which section the thread is before you post.

You should really stop being a douchebag when someone is trying to help you out.

As a previous poster said insects aren't attracted to a certain sequence of petals, they are attracted to the color of the petals. A bee isn't going to look at a flower and say to itself 'This flower doesn't have a number of petals that is in Fibonacci's Sequence so I am not going to land and drink the nectar.' The bees don't have advanced mathematical concepts such as these, it is just pure coincidence.

 

[Sin666]

Fibonacci numbers are also found in the patterns of pine cones and sea shells - it's not only in flowers, and therefore likely has nothing to do with being 'attractive to insects'.

 

[SexayMistahBee]

You should really stop being a douchebag when someone is trying to help you out.

As a previous poster said insects aren't attracted to a certain sequence of petals, they are attracted to the color of the petals. A bee isn't going to look at a flower and say to itself 'This flower doesn't have a number of petals that is in Fibonacci's Sequence so I am not going to land and drink the nectar.' The bees don't have advanced mathematical concepts such as these, it is just pure coincidence.

You're right, I should stop.
Yes the color of the petals are one thing, but I'm still not convinced.

Fibonacci numbers are also found in the patterns of pine cones and sea shells - it's not only in flowers, and therefore likely has nothing to do with being 'attractive to insects'.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the golden ratio is best for a seashell when withstanding all the impact it may receive. For example, strong waves, wind(maybe) and etc. Pinecones follow the sequence because their seeds would not be alligned properly if they did not.

I still can't find anything about that on the flowers though :/