Dawkins' Extended Phenotype

Dawkins' Extended Phenotype is the idea that an organism’s influence extends beyond its physical body to include the environment and objects it manipulates. For example, a beaver’s dam or a spider’s web are considered part of its extended phenotype because they are products of its genetic traits that affect its surroundings. These structures can enhance survival and reproduction, showing that genes can shape not just an organism’s body but also the environment it creates or alters, extending the traditional view of how genes influence the living world.