Niche construction : the neglected process in evolution
F. John Odling-Smee (Author), Kevin N. Laland (Author), Marcus W. Feldman (Author)
The seemingly innocent observation that the activities of organisms bring about changes in environments is so obvious that it seems an unlikely focus for a new line of thinking about evolution. Yet niche construction--as this process of organism-driven environmental modification is known--has hidden complexities. By transforming biotic and abiotic sources of natural selection in external environments, niche construction generates feedback in evolution on a scale hitherto underestimated--and in a manner that transforms the evolutionary dynamic. It also plays a critical role in ecology, suppo
eBook, English, ©2003
Princeton University Press, Princeton, ©2003