Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Perspective: seven reasons (not) to neglect niche construction
1Centre for Evolution, Genes, and Genomics, School of Biology, St. Andrews University, Fife KY16 9TS, United Kingdom. knl1@st-andrews.ac.uk
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|November 9, 2006
Summary
Niche construction, where organisms modify their environments, is a significant evolutionary process. This study refutes common criticisms, arguing for its central role in evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology
Background:
- The niche-construction perspective emphasizes organism-induced environmental changes.
- It proposes niche construction as an evolutionary process, not just a product of evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate seven common criticisms of the niche-construction perspective.
- To assess the theoretical standing and empirical evidence against these criticisms.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical evaluation of arguments against niche construction.
- Review of empirical evidence relevant to niche construction debates.
Main Results:
- None of the seven discussed criticisms were found to be strong.
- Niche construction is argued to be a prevalent and tractable evolutionary process.
Conclusions:
- Compelling reasons support treating niche construction as a major evolutionary process.
- The niche-construction perspective offers valuable insights into evolutionary dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
02:02Ecological Niches
All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.Multiple species cannot occupy the exact same niche within their habitat. If the niches of two or more species overlap to a large extent, the competitive exclusion principle dictates that one species will outcompete the other, forcing it to...
01:12Ecological Niche
Microorganisms occupy diverse habitats and perform essential ecological functions that are defined by their ecological niches. A microbial niche encompasses the organism’s mode of survival, including resource acquisition, reproduction, and interactions with other species in its environment. This concept is vital for understanding microbial community dynamics, biogeography, and ecosystem functionality.The fundamental niche of a microorganism includes the full spectrum of environmental...
01:23Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
02:30Naturalistic Observations
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
01:21The Nativist Approach
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
01:31Confirmation Biases
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?