Trigger

Biological Parallel

Fixed action patterns are biology's trigger systems. Herring gull chicks peck red dots to trigger parental feeding — supernormal stimuli outperform real parents. Stickleback fish attack any red-bellied object during breeding season. Cuckoo chicks exploit host parental feeding triggers so effectively that reed warblers feed cuckoo chicks three times their size. Venus flytraps implement dual-trigger confirmation — two contacts within 20 seconds required — to prevent false-positive activation. Same architecture: specific sensory cue triggers stereotyped behavioral response.