Niche Construction: The Neglected Process in Evolution

The central argument: organisms do not merely adapt to environments -- they systematically modify them, and those modifications feed back into the selective pressures acting on subsequent generations. Earthworms transform soil chemistry; beavers reshape hydrology; humans construct cities, institutions, and information systems. Laland, Odling-Smee, and Feldman established niche construction as a legitimate evolutionary process alongside natural selection, mutation, and genetic drift. The formal models are rigorous, the implications far-reaching. For product and organisational thinking, the parallel is direct: teams and companies do not just respond to markets, they reshape the competitive and cultural landscape they inhabit, altering the selection pressures they face.