Egzogenie

Egzogenie is a term used in speculative biology and philosophy of biology to denote processes by which external factors—tools, environments, or cultural artifacts—shape developmental outcomes or phenotypic expression without requiring changes in an organism's genome. The concept draws attention to how external mediation can be integral to an organism's functional traits, effectively outsourcing part of development to its surroundings.

As a neologism, egzogenie does not reflect a settled category in mainstream biology. It appears mainly in theoretical discussions and thought experiments intended to illustrate the influence of external agents on fitness, learning, or adaptation.

Mechanisms associated with egzogenie include sustained use of environmental scaffolds (such as nests or burrows), tool-assisted behaviors, and digital or material media that alter perception or decision making. In humans, egzogenie-related ideas emphasize how technologies and cultural practices extend cognitive and physiological capacities beyond the body.

The concept overlaps with and sometimes contrasts with established ideas such as niche construction, exaptation, epigenetics, and distributed cognition. Critics argue that the term risk conflating distinct mechanisms and lacking clear empirical criteria.

Egzogenie remains largely theoretical and is used primarily in speculative discussions rather than as an operational framework in empirical research.