A new study developed by TU professor Michelle Casey, Ph.D., and partners at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, is redefining how scientists think about how living creatures influence the planet. Building on the established ecological concept of ecosystem engineering—where organisms modify their surroundings to benefit themselves but incidentally affect many others—researchers have developed a broader framework called earth system engineering to explore these processes across geologic time.

Ecosystem engineers, such as beavers building dams that create habitats for countless other species, have long been recognized as key drivers of local ecological change. However, the new study, supported by a National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network Grant, expands this idea beyond individual species and ecosystems. The authors propose that some life forms have transformed the planet on a global scale over millions or even billions of years. For instance, photosynthesizing bacteria that produced Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere fundamentally altered conditions for all subsequent life.

By focusing on behaviors—like dam-building or photosynthesis—rather than specific organisms, the framework offers new ways to trace when these behaviors evolved, how they spread and what their evolutionary consequences were. This approach not only deepens understanding of life’s long-term influence on Earth but also provides a fresh lens for evaluating modern human impacts on the environment.

The research, led by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has been featured on and . Read the full paper .