Civilisation and Human Niche Construction

This short paper introduces the special section "Civilisation and the Construction of the Human Niche", organised by the ‘Domestication, Niche Construction and the Anthropocene’ research network at the UCL Institute of Archaeology

The evolutionary consequences of niche construction:A theoretical investigation using two-locus theory

This paper addresses the joint evolution of environment-altering (niche constructing) traits, and traits whose fitness depends on alterable sources of natural selection in environments. We explore the evolutionary consequences of this niche construction using a two-locus population genetic model. The novel conclusions are that niche construction can (1) cause evolutionary inertia and momentum, (2) lead to the fixation of otherwise deleterious alleles, (3) support stable polymorphisms where none are expected, (4) eliminate what would otherwise be stable polymorphisms, and (5) influence disequilibrium. The results suggest that the changes that organ-isms bring about in their niche can themselves be an important source of natural selection pressures, and imply that evolution may proceed in cycles of selection and niche construction.</p

The evolutionary consequences of niche construction:A theoretical investigation using two-locus theory

This paper addresses the joint evolution of environment-altering (niche constructing) traits, and traits whose fitness depends on alterable sources of natural selection in environments. We explore the evolutionary consequences of this niche construction using a two-locus population genetic model. The novel conclusions are that niche construction can (1) cause evolutionary inertia and momentum, (2) lead to the fixation of otherwise deleterious alleles, (3) support stable polymorphisms where none are expected, (4) eliminate what would otherwise be stable polymorphisms, and (5) influence disequilibrium. The results suggest that the changes that organ-isms bring about in their niche can themselves be an important source of natural selection pressures, and imply that evolution may proceed in cycles of selection and niche construction.</p

Evolutionary consequences of niche construction and their implications for ecology

Organisms regularly modify local resource distributions, influencing both their ecosystems and the evolution of traits whose fitness depends on such alterable sources of natural selection in environments. We call these processes niche construction. We explore the evolutionary consequences of niche construction using a two-locus population genetic model, which extends earlier analyses by allowing resource distributions to be influenced both by niche construction and by independent processes of renewal and depletion. The analysis confirms that niche construction can be a potent evolutionary agent by generating selection that leads to the fixation of otherwise deleterious alleles, supporting stable polymorphisms where none are expected, eliminating what would otherwise be stable polymorphisms, and generating unusual evolutionary dynamics. Even small amounts of niche construction, or niche construction that only weakly affects resource dynamics, can significantly alter both ecological and evolutionary patterns