[mannykannot]

Well, you could extend this mode of analysis to its conclusion, for each dataset, and describe each datum in the data by its difference from its predecessor and successor, but if you do, does that help? I took it as significant that you wrote "...but it's an outlier from what is otherwise a regular pattern that clearly shows that smaller p-values are more likely to occur than larger ones are" (my emphasis) and that is what I am responding to.

I think we are both, in our own ways, making the point that there is more going on here than the spike just below 0.05 - namely, the regular pattern that you identified in your original post. If we differ, it seems to be because I think it is explicable.

WRT p-values of 0.05: I almost, but did not, say that if you curve-fitted above and below 0.05 independently, there would be a gap between the two, and maybe even if you left out the value immediately below 0.05. No doubt that would also happen for other values, but I am guessing that this gap would peak at 0.05. If I have time in the near future, I may try it. If you do, and find that I am wrong, I will be happy to recant.