“Things” evolve with respect to environmental constraints (i.e., changes in environment). It does not mean that the environment or organisms within it are “purposefully” “constraining” one organism or another. Instead it means that as things in the environment change so do the organismic opportunities and restrictions. The fewer changes in the environment the more possibly variability in genes, behavior, and the like but the less “pressure” for this variability to emerge. Inversely, the more changes in the environment the less possibility of variability in genes, behavior, etc., but the more “pressure” for it.
The process of evolution, the species level interaction with the environment over time, is ubiquitous in all contexts of analysis and phenomenon. The essence of evolution, whether talking about species, behaviors, ideas, emotions, etc., etc., etc., is selection by consequences.
Conventual use of the term “evolution” typically refers to something like the species level interactions with environment driven by selection by consequences. However, the concept has much more utility and is more ubiquitous than most of us realize. In the following, the word “thing” refers to anything that exists. The process of evolution, the species level interaction with the environment over time, is ubiquitous in all contexts of analysis and phenomenon. The essence of evolution, whether talking about species, behaviors, ideas, emotions, etc., etc., etc., is selection by consequences. Things evolve with respect to environmental constraints. A constraint is not an imposed restriction per se but a change in the environment that pressures the organism to accilimiate, in the short term, and adapt (on a collective species level) on longer time scales. The environment affords certain opportunities and restrictions for organismic behaviors (more generally, behavior of things). When envioirnmental changes are few (constraints are minimal) there is more opportunity for behavioral variability but less pressure for it. When environmental changes are many (constraints are high) the less opportunity (more restriction) for variability but the more pressure for it (i.e., the “stronger” or more adept organisms persist over time with respect to these changes)
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