Anchoring effect

Biological Parallel

Salmon return to their natal streams with pinpoint accuracy, anchored to chemical signatures imprinted years earlier. This phylopatry—homing to birthplace—demonstrates nature's anchoring bias: the first reference point (home stream) dominates all subsequent navigation. Early environmental anchors saved cognitive resources when conditions were stable; animals that ignored initial cues wasted energy re-evaluating. Your first apartment's rent still feels like the 'right' price because ancestral minds locked onto initial reference points.