Final answer:
The subsistence strategy that has defined most of human existence is gathering and hunting, utilized extensively until the development of agriculture about 12,000 years ago. Subsistence strategies evolved through history, with societies often combining different methods such as hunting, agriculture, and pastoralism, adapting to environmental and social changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subsistence strategy that has characterized most of human existence is gathering and hunting. This strategy includes hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants, and it was utilized by humans from Homo erectus until at least 10,000 years ago. Throughout history, however, humans have implemented four main modes of subsistence: gathering-hunting, pastoralism, plant cultivation, and industrialism/post-industrialism. These methods of making a living involve direct human labor applied to environmental resources to produce food, tools, and other essential items. Societies often combined these various subsistence strategies, adapting to changes such as population pressures, environmental changes, and the development of new technologies. It is crucial to recognize most societies have a predominant mode of subsistence that incorporates practices from other strategies, forming a complex and often flexible economic system. For example, gatherer-hunters may resort to farming temporarily if their main food sources dwindle, or herders might cultivate crops along their nomadic paths. The selection and combination of these strategies reflect a society's adjustment to its environment and available resources, shaping social structures, cultural values, and economic exchanges.