The Following Figure Shows That the Human Population Was Small

The following figure shows that the human population was small and relatively stable for nearly 12,000 years but has increased dramatically in the past 200 years. How might this increase in population growth be explained?

A) Effective methods of intercontinental travel permitted humans to immigrate to locations better suited to support larger populations.
B) For most of human history, people were too malnourished to have many children.
C) People simply chose to have fewer children and smaller families in the past than at present.
D) Prior human populations were at existing carrying capacities, but newly developed technologies have raised the carrying capacity and permitted the recent expansion.