80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)

Biological Parallel

Power laws dominate living systems: 20% of tree species provide 80% of forest biomass, 20% of gut bacteria perform 80% of digestive work, and a few hub nodes carry most information in neural networks. This pattern emerges from preferential attachment—success breeds success, whether in resource capture, network position, or genetic fitness. The 80/20 distribution isn't an accident; it's the signature of scale-free networks and Matthew effects operating across all biological scales.