Abstract

Attract mates or pollinators and repel or hide from predators--all instances where quality serves the goal of increasing the quantity of a species. More than this, Skutch offers intriguing evidence that animals may possess an aesthetic sense and consciously choose beautiful objects, just as humans do. These views, running counter to prevailing mechanistic explanations of natural processes, offer food for thought to both specialists and the general public. It is Skutch's.