An Evolutionary Fear of Holes Some people are afraid of a certain pattern of holes like those you might see in a chocolate bar, in soap bubbles, or on a lotus seed head like the one shown here. This condition is called trypophobia. Researchers Geoff Cole and Arnold Wilkins (2013) found striking similarities between the visual pattern that triggers fear in trypophobics and the markings on poisonous animals, like certain snakes or the poison dart frog shown here. They speculate that an ability to quickly notice a poisonous creature gave people an evolutionary advantage, even if it sometimes led them to fear harmless objects.
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John Arnold/Shutterstock
John Arnold/Shutterstock