Plant and animal domestication started about 12,000 years ago. We intervened, shifting the evolutionary payoffs to reward investing more in growth: frit size, animal size, and milk production are examples. Horses provided a source of mechanical work that unlocked far destinations.
Farming cultures had more energy to have more children, meaning more minds and free time for innovations. Soon, we could free the energy trapped in natural resources, accelerating food production like never before. Today, an hour of work can get modern American 20,000 calories worth of food. Hunter and gatherers will acquire about 1,000 calories for the same duration of work spent foraging.