A community is transitioning from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to a horticultural society. How might this shift impact their social organization and population growth according to sociocultural evolution theory?

When a community shifts from hunting and gathering to horticulture, their way of life changes significantly. In a hunting and gathering society, people move around a lot to find food, which means they often have smaller groups and less permanent social structures. However, with horticulture, they can grow their own food in one place, leading to larger, more settled communities. This stability allows for increased population growth because families can support more children when there’s a reliable food source. For example, a group that starts planting crops like corn can feed more people and establish stronger social ties, leading to a more complex society with roles like farmers, leaders, and traders.