" I could walk into a wooded area and pinpoint within a foot any body he’d left there. I noticed this because my area of expertise was modeling how different systems stake out and create their own ecosystems. I use the term system because sometimes it’s a confluence of organisms working together—in their own interests—yet yielding a mutual benefit. The shape of a thing isn’t always the thing. "

― Andrew Mayne , Dark Pattern (The Naturalist, #4)