Exploring Niche Construction Theory

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives on Oceanic Archaeology: Papers to Honor the Contributions of Melinda Allen" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Niche construction theory (NCT) has become an interesting evolutionary mechanism for archaeologists interested in understanding human-environment interactions. The idea that humans’ penchant for environmental modification could be understood from an evolutionary model is compelling. However, there has been much discussion and debate about the role and value of NCT. Is NCT a complementary or alternative approach to human behavioral ecology? Are the products evolutionary and scientific, or do they simply produce tautological stories? While some of the conflict lies in ontological differences between anthropological and scientific explanations, many researchers are earnestly trying to understand how best to study the evolutionary processes related to human modification of the environment. In this paper, I explore some of these sticking points of NCT, including the processes involved that link niche construction to fitness, the scales at which it can be applied, and the archaeological measures used.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives on Oceanic Archaeology: Papers to Honor the Contributions of Melinda Allen

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51218