Final answer:
During the Neolithic Age, also known as the agricultural revolution, which began around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, plants and animals were first domesticated. This led to the development of permanent settlements, a stable food supply, and eventually the rise of specialized occupations and complex societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Neolithic Age, a pivotal period in human history, plants and animals were domesticated, and human populations experienced a rapid growth. This era sparked what is known as the agricultural revolution, which began around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago and led to a fundamental shift in the way humans lived.
The agricultural revolution allowed for the development of permanent settlements as food supplies became more abundant and reliable. This shift from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled farming communities enabled the domestication of a variety of plants and animals, such as sheep, goats, chickens, horses, and llamas, in different regions around the world. As a result, societies began to thrive and evolve, eventually giving rise to specialized occupations, the creation of surplus goods, and the formation of complex societies.
The process of plant domestication involved selecting and planting the seeds of desirable plants, leading to the modification of plant characteristics over several generations. Similarly, humans adapted and perhaps unintentionally domesticated themselves to suit the agricultural lifestyle, favoring traits like docility and cooperativeness.