Human

===Prehistory===
{{Main|Prehistory}}
[[File:Early migrations mercator.svg|thumb|350px|Overview map of the peopling of the world by [[Early human migrations|early human migration]] during the [[Upper Paleolithic]], following to the [[Southern Dispersal]] paradigm]]
Until about 12,000 years ago, all humans lived as [[hunter-gatherer]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Little |first1=Michael A. |chapter=Hunter-Gatherers |chapter-url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128026526000232 |title=Basics in Human Evolution |pages=323–335 |year=2015 |editor-last=Muehlenbein |editor-first=Michael P. |place=Boston |publisher=Academic Press |language=en |isbn=978-0-12-802652-6 |last2=Blumler |first2=Mark A. |access-date=30 July 2022 |archive-date=3 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703085714/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128026526000232 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Scarre |first=Chris |title=The Human Past: World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies |publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]] |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-500-29335-5 |editor-last=Scarre |editor-first=Chris |edition=4th |location=London |pages=174–197 |chapter=The world transformed: from foragers and farmers to states and empires |author-link=Chris Scarre}}</ref> The [[Neolithic Revolution]] (the invention of [[agriculture]]) first took place in [[Southwest Asia]] and spread through large parts of the [[Old World]] over the following millennia.<ref>{{Cite book|vauthors=Colledge S, Conolly J, Dobney K, Manning K, Shennan S|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/855969933|title=Origins and Spread of Domestic Animals in Southwest Asia and Europe.|date=2013|publisher=Left Coast Press|isbn=978-1-61132-324-5|location=Walnut Creek, CA|pages=13–17|oclc=855969933|access-date=30 July 2022|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730032846/https://www.worldcat.org/title/origins-and-spread-of-domestic-animals-in-southwest-asia-and-europe/oclc/855969933|url-status=live}}</ref> It also occurred independently in [[Mesoamerica]] (about 6,000 years ago),<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Scanes CG |date= January 2018 | chapter =The Neolithic Revolution, Animal Domestication, and Early Forms of Animal Agriculture | veditors = Scanes CG, Toukhsati SR |title = Animals and Human Society |pages=103–131 |publisher= Elsevier |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-805247-1.00006-X|isbn= 978-0-12-805247-1 }}</ref> China,<ref name="He2017">{{cite journal |vauthors=He K, Lu H, Zhang J, Wang C, Huan X |title=Prehistoric evolution of the dualistic structure mixed rice and millet farming in China |journal=The Holocene |date=7 June 2017 |volume=27 |issue=12 |pages=1885–1898 |doi=10.1177/0959683617708455 |bibcode=2017Holoc..27.1885H |s2cid=133660098 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317400332 |access-date=30 July 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120221221/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317400332_Prehistoric_evolution_of_the_dualistic_structure_mixed_rice_and_millet_farming_in_China |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Lu">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lu H, Zhang J, Liu KB, Wu N, Li Y, Zhou K, Ye M, Zhang T, Zhang H, Yang X, Shen L, Xu D, Li Q | display-authors = 6 | title = Earliest domestication of common millet (Panicum miliaceum) in East Asia extended to 10,000 years ago | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 106 | issue = 18 | pages = 7367–7372 | date = May 2009 | pmid = 19383791 | pmc = 2678631 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.0900158106 | bibcode = 2009PNAS..106.7367L | doi-access = free }}</ref> [[Papua New Guinea]],<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Denham TP, Haberle SG, Lentfer C, Fullagar R, Field J, Therin M, Porch N, Winsborough B | display-authors = 6 | title = Origins of agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the highlands of New Guinea | journal = Science | volume = 301 | issue = 5630 | pages = 189–193 | date = July 2003 | pmid = 12817084 | doi = 10.1126/science.1085255 | s2cid = 10644185 | doi-access = free }}</ref> and the [[Sahel]] and [[Sudanian savanna|West Savanna]] regions of Africa.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Scarcelli N, Cubry P, Akakpo R, Thuillet AC, Obidiegwu J, Baco MN, Otoo E, Sonké B, Dansi A, Djedatin G, Mariac C, Couderc M, Causse S, Alix K, Chaïr H, François O, Vigouroux Y | display-authors = 6 | title = Yam genomics supports West Africa as a major cradle of crop domestication | journal = Science Advances | volume = 5 | issue = 5 | pages = eaaw1947 | date = May 2019 | pmid = 31114806 | doi = 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1947 | pmc = 6527260 | bibcode = 2019SciA....5.1947S | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Winchell F|date=October 2017|title=Evidence for Sorghum Domestication in Fourth Millennium BC Eastern Sudan: Spikelet Morphology from Ceramic Impressions of the Butana Group|journal=Current Anthropology|volume=58|issue=5|pages=673–683|doi=10.1086/693898|s2cid=149402650|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1574602/7/Fuller_693898.pdf|access-date=30 July 2022|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623152728/https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1574602/7/Fuller_693898.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| vauthors = Manning K |date=February 2011|title=4500-Year old domesticated pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) from the Tilemsi Valley, Mali: new insights into an alternative cereal domestication pathway |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science|volume=38|issue=2|pages=312–322|doi=10.1016/j.jas.2010.09.007 |bibcode=2011JArSc..38..312M }}</ref>

Access to food surplus led to the formation of permanent [[human settlement]]s, the [[domestication]] of animals and the [[Chalcolithic|use of metal tools]] for the first time in history. Agriculture and sedentary lifestyle led to the emergence of early [[civilizations]].<ref>{{cite book|vauthors=Noble TF, Strauss B, Osheim D, Neuschel K, Accamp E|url={{GBurl|id=Td4WAAAAQBAJ|q=western civilisation egypt|p=16}}|title=Cengage Advantage Books: Western Civilization: Beyond Boundaries|date=2013| publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-285-66153-7|access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Spielvogel J |url={{GBurl|id=LceiAgAAQBAJ|q=western civilisation egypt|pg=PT65}}|title=Western Civilization: Volume A: To 1500|date=1 January 2014|publisher=Cenpage Learning|isbn=978-1-285-98299-1|access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|vauthors=Thornton B|url={{GBurl|id=fa6swJv64xkC|q=Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization}}|title=Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization|publisher=Encounter Books|year=2002|isbn=978-1-893554-57-3|location=San Francisco|pages=1–14|access-date=30 July 2022}}</ref>