Over the last 30 years,a new actor in the area of ecology and evolution has emerged:niche construction theory(NCT).The fundamental premise of NCT is that organisms may actively influence evolutionary processes by modi...Over the last 30 years,a new actor in the area of ecology and evolution has emerged:niche construction theory(NCT).The fundamental premise of NCT is that organisms may actively influence evolutionary processes by modifying their circumstances[1].According to Trappes et al.,[2]the concept of niche construction should only be applied to species that alter their environment,which they believe to be its intuitive scope.They add two more terms to describe the ways that organisms engage with their surroundings and so influence their niches:when organisms choose their environment,this is known as niche choice,and when they adapt their phenotype to fit their environment,this is known as niche conformance.These three concepts are often referred to as niche-altering mechanisms,or NC3 mechanisms:niche conformance,niche construction,and niche choice.This is in line with definitions of mechanisms developed in scientific philosophy[2].展开更多
文摘Over the last 30 years,a new actor in the area of ecology and evolution has emerged:niche construction theory(NCT).The fundamental premise of NCT is that organisms may actively influence evolutionary processes by modifying their circumstances[1].According to Trappes et al.,[2]the concept of niche construction should only be applied to species that alter their environment,which they believe to be its intuitive scope.They add two more terms to describe the ways that organisms engage with their surroundings and so influence their niches:when organisms choose their environment,this is known as niche choice,and when they adapt their phenotype to fit their environment,this is known as niche conformance.These three concepts are often referred to as niche-altering mechanisms,or NC3 mechanisms:niche conformance,niche construction,and niche choice.This is in line with definitions of mechanisms developed in scientific philosophy[2].
