1) Several common misconceptions existed about the origins of food production, including that it was an invention rather than evolution and that hunters-gatherers were entirely distinct from food producers. 2) Factors that led to the shift from hunting and gathering to food production included declining availability of wild foods, less rewarding hunting as game decreased, and technologies to store and process more food as populations grew. 3) Plant domestication involved early farmers selectively growing plants and causing changes from wild ancestors, choosing for traits like larger size, less bitterness, and seedless varieties.

1. Guns, Germs and Steel Jared Diamond