Why were crops such as maize so significant to the evolution of indigenous peoples in the Americas?
A) These crops were so similar in different corners of the Americas that they guaranteed that the societies developed by indigenous peoples would for the most part lack diversity with one another.
B) These crops grew so well on their own without any help from humans that indigenous peoples could focus mostly on cultural rather than agricultural activities.
C) These crops were reliable enough as food sources that indigenous peoples could lead more settled lives and, thus, become more established, larger societies.
D) These crops were varied so much in output from year to year that they led most indigenous societies to increasingly depend on hunting and gathering as the sole food source.
E) These crops had less nutritional value than indigenous peoples' prior food sources and, thus, led to a great decrease in the size of the indigenous population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maize (and other crops like beans and squash) allowed indigenous peoples to rely on a more consistent food source, which led to settled communities with larger populations, as opposed to a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering.

Why Were Crops Such as Maize So Significant to the Evolution