The Story of the Human Body

The Agricultural Revolution, also called the Neolithic Revolution, was the widespread transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to agrarian or farming lifestyles. The Agricultural Revolution began around 10,000-12,000 years ago, and it included the cultivation and domestication of several plant and animal species. While some areas of the world transitioned to agriculture 600 generations ago, most transitioned around 300 generations ago.

The Agricultural Revolution had both positive and negative impacts. It allowed humans to feed more individuals, which increased the population, and it allowed them to stockpile resources, which paved the way for intellectual advancements. Consequences of agriculture include the intensification of infectious diseases and epidemics, decreased nutrition, the introduction of social stratification, and mismatch diseases.

Cultural buffering is an evolutionary concept in which human culture impacts biological evolution. One prominent example is that humans have few adaptations that allow them to endure cold temperatures because they wear clothes. The cultural practice of wearing clothes prevents humans from evolving physical cold-survival strategies.

Lieberman refers to the cultural practices that fail to address the underlying causes of mismatch diseases as dysevolution, or harmful evolution. For example, dental cavities are prevalent because modern humans eat high-sugar and high-starch diets. Rather than making dietary changes, humans prevent cavities through dental hygiene and through dental fillings.