Final answer:
People involved in early agriculture selected wheat that had thinner husks and more seeds for cultivation, leading to varieties better suited for human use through the process of artificial selection. This selective breeding focused on traits that improved yield and resistance to challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the features of wheat that people looked for in plants they chose to save seeds from for cultivation was the thickness of the husks around the seeds. Through the process of artificial selection, early agriculturalists selected wheat and barley plants with thinner husks and more seeds, which were more desirable for human consumption. This selection pressure led to the domestication of wheat varieties that were more amenable to human purposes, like easier harvesting and processing.
Furthermore, the practice of collecting and planting seeds from plants with desirable traits, like large seeds for example, was crucial for crop development. As a result, this selective breeding process has allowed humans to dramatically transform plant species over time, focusing on traits that increased yield, resistance to pests and diseases, and suitability for various climates and soils.