Created at 121123 # [Anonymous feedback](https://www.admonymous.co/louis030195) # [[Epistemic status]] #shower-thought Last modified date: 121123 Commit: 0 # Related - [[Dawkins, Richard - The Extended Phenotype - The Long Reach of the Gene]] # Extended Phenotype - **Definition**: The extended phenotype is a concept in evolutionary biology proposed by Richard Dawkins. It extends the idea of a phenotype beyond the physical body of an organism to include the effects a gene has on the organism’s environment or other organisms. - **Key Points**: - **Beyond the Organism**: The phenotype of a gene is not limited to the physical form of the organism but also includes structures and changes in the environment directly influenced by the organism’s genetic makeup. - **Examples**: Animal artifacts like beaver dams, spider webs, and bird nests. These are seen as expressions of the genes of the animals that create them. - **Evolutionary Significance**: This concept suggests that the success of a gene is not just determined by the survival and reproduction of the organism it resides in, but also by its impact on the environment or other organisms. - **Challenging Traditional Views**: It challenges the idea that the organism is the primary vehicle of natural selection, proposing that genes can have broader evolutionary effects. - **Implications**: This idea broadens our understanding of natural selection and evolution, showing how genes can have far-reaching impacts beyond the traditional scope of biological structures. #evolution #biology #dawkins #extended-phenotype