Behavior and environment are largely how natural selection operates, it has never been thought otherwise. More colorful bird is selected as a mate, thicker fur survives the winter, etc.
I should have specified. I meant with regard to the mutations specifically.
New mutations create new possibilities. What the article seems to say is, there's quite a bit of info embeded in genes, but there are additional factors that twigger which traits are called into play. It's a very sophisticated system.