https://phys.org/news/2018-05-crafting-human-niche.html

Evidence indicates that in the past 2 million years, individuals belonging to the genus Homo experienced significant evolutionary developments. The increasingly complex patterns that resulted served as the foundation of the human niche. A niche consists of the ecosystem an organism inhabits and all of the organism's interactions within that space. Processes occurring within this niche, including the use of fire and new modes of teaching and learning, offered humans greater control over the surrounding environment.

Fuentes, in fact, proposes that the most distinctive feature of humanity is its ability to significantly alter ecosystems. Fuentes applies anthropological theory to emphasize the highly significant role humans play in determining the collective future of life on the planet.