However, it was unknown whether these strong links formed via simple, known principles of network organization or via mechanisms that were species-specific, according to the authors of the new ...

I just came across the same principle in Marshall v. Addison (Md. Provincial Ct. 1773), and thought it formed a good illustration of how long Anglo-American law has been dealing with these questions: ...

The same principle appears in tree branches as well. The precise calibration of branch diameter leads to a hallmark of fractal shapes called scale invariance.