Schelling Point

Biological Parallel

Migrating wildebeest converge on the same river crossings annually despite no central coordination—certain geographic features become natural focal points. Murmuration formation in starlings coalesces around salient individuals or positions without communication. These are biological Schelling points: convergence on focal equilibria when explicit coordination is impossible. Spawning sites, watering holes, and hibernation dens emerge as natural meeting points not because they're optimal, but because they're obvious. Salience, not optimization, enables coordination.