Final answer:
Hunter-gatherers primarily obtained food by gathering fruits or nuts, a method that utilized the natural abundance in their environment rather than agriculture or animal domestication.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hunter-Gatherers' Food Sources
The most important way that hunter-gatherers obtained food was through gathering and hunting. Hunter-gatherers did not grow vegetables or raise animals as a primary food source; instead, they relied heavily on the natural environment. A crucial method for sustaining their communities was gathering fruits or nuts. They would collect wild fruits, nuts, berries, and other edible plants. They also hunted wild animals for meat and fished in rivers and lakes.
Unlike agricultural societies that focused on a limited number of staple crops, hunter-gatherers had a diverse diet from a wide range of sources. Although they did not domesticate animals primarily for food like farmers did, they utilized them when available through hunting. Also, contrary to farming societies, hunter-gatherers did not make flour from wheat because they did not engage in agriculture to the same extent that involved planting and harvesting crops.