> vast majority of people were lucky to not starve on regular basis for most of human existence
This is not likely. It seems hunter-gatherers spent less time and energy on getting food, had it more reliably, and it was more nutritious. They were taller and healthier, and there were much fewer of them. Granted, infant mortality was high, which makes sense (it's kind of insane how human reproduction/growth works). Studies of modern hunter-gatherers show they work less, have more leisure time.
Modern humans have been around (at least) 100,000 years, and agriculture only 12,000 years. Most of modern human existence, people were eating well, until agriculture simultaneously made it harder and enabled the population to scale up past what the natural environment supported.
This is not likely. It seems hunter-gatherers spent less time and energy on getting food, had it more reliably, and it was more nutritious. They were taller and healthier, and there were much fewer of them. Granted, infant mortality was high, which makes sense (it's kind of insane how human reproduction/growth works). Studies of modern hunter-gatherers show they work less, have more leisure time.
Modern humans have been around (at least) 100,000 years, and agriculture only 12,000 years. Most of modern human existence, people were eating well, until agriculture simultaneously made it harder and enabled the population to scale up past what the natural environment supported.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24402714/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190520115646.h... https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/01/5510187... http://www.ditext.com/diamond/mistake.html