As the morning sun slipped through the rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a scaly creature sat perched on a tree. The animal was “dwarf”-sized but had a “leopard-like pattern.” ...

This bold, statement-making animal print is everywhere right now. We explored what its resurgence signals, and spoke with 29 tastemakers to learn why it’s their go-to pattern.

From spotty leopards to stripy zebras, nature has no shortage of distinct patterns on animals and plants. Now, the age-old question of how these patterns developed may have finally been solved.