Why do humans have pareidolia built into our brains?

Question

I know pareidolia (seeing faces in objects) is built into our brains, but does anyone know why or where it comes from?

In: Biology

Answer 1

One of our greatest advantages over other animals is our unique forms of social interactions. Humans have developed a lot of subtle ways of coordinating with one another in ways that help the species as a whole, from hunting down mammoths to building supercities. We can nonverbally communicate extremely subtle cues and recognize familiar individuals from great distances without needing a strong sense of smell. In short, our ability to see and discern faces gives us an advantage. Select for that trait over millennia and you’ll also have some weird side effects, like seeing faces where there aren’t any.