There will be differences, naturally, in the ways we understand these patterns. Consider the colours of the rainbow — we understand them as a sequence governed by the laws of physics. My son has always had an interest in machines, and he recognises the historical development of farm tractors — a sequence best understood in terms of intelligent design. Most families are able to put together a genealogy going back several generations — this is a sequence based on ancestor-descendant relationships. Geologists refer to Mohs scale of mineral hardness which ranks common minerals in terms of what can scratch what — a purely functional sequence.