Causes, consequences and maintenance of niche variation in systems with humans and other predators

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All living organisms, including humans, are united by their use of resources from a common environment. As a result of competition with other species, however, each species occupies its own niche (or specific set of resources). Whereas understanding how and why niches vary among species has dominated related research for decades, emerging work is now showing variation in niche at levels of organization within species. Different populations, and even different individuals within population, can carve out their own set of resources. This has enormous implications to the evolutionary environments these organisms face, and consequently how they look, behave and interact with other living things. What is less certain is what processes can shape, re-shape and maintain this variation in niche, which is a critical component of biodiversity.