Agricultural intensification and human evolution: How systemic shifts in food systems drove genetic adaptation across West Eurasia

Indigenous epistemologies challenge the genetic determinism framing by emphasizing relational and cyclical models of human adaptation. The Māori concept of *whakapapa* ties genetic lineage to land and community, rejecting the idea of isolated 'selective pressures.' Similarly, the Hopi of North America view agricultural practices as part of a sacred covenant with the Earth, where 'survival' is not just biological but spiritual. These frameworks critique the reductionist focus on DNA, instead linking human change to ecological and social harmony.

The transition to agriculture was not a uniform 'progress' but a series of violent disruptions, from the Neolithic Revolution to the Enclosure Acts in 18th-century England. Historical records show that agricultural intensification often coincided with state formation, class stratification, and the collapse of egalitarian societies. The 'selection' documented in this study mirrors earlier patterns, such as the rise of lactase persistence in pastoralist cultures or the spread of sickle cell trait in malaria-prone regions, both tied to coercive subsistence shifts.

Cross-culturally, agricultural transitions are framed through cosmologies that resist Western linear narratives. In West Africa, the Dogon people attribute the origin of millet cultivation to ancestral deities, embedding food production in spiritual cycles. The Māori *marae* (communal gathering space) symbolizes the integration of food, labor, and social structure, contrasting with the individualistic 'survival of the fittest' model. These perspectives reveal how food systems are not just biological but deeply cultural, with adaptation occurring at the level of worldviews, not just genes.

The study’s methodology—analyzing ancient DNA from 16,000 individuals—provides robust evidence for genetic adaptation tied to agricultural practices. However, it frames selection as a neutral process, ignoring the role of human agency in shaping these pressures (e.g., through land privatization or labor exploitation). The focus on West Eurasia also limits the scope, as similar adaptations occurred independently in Mesoamerica, East Asia, and Africa, suggesting convergent evolution driven by shared agricultural logics rather than isolated genetic drift.

Artistic and spiritual traditions often depict agricultural transitions as moments of rupture or renewal. In Greek mythology, the story of Demeter and Persephone frames the shift to grain cultivation as a cycle of loss and rebirth, tied to the seasons. In Hindu traditions, the *Bhagavad Gita* describes the duty (*dharma*) of cultivating the land as a path to spiritual liberation. These narratives challenge the genetic determinism framing by emphasizing the sacredness of food systems and the moral dimensions of labor.

Future scenarios must account for how agricultural systems will drive further genetic and cultural adaptations under climate change and industrialization. As monocultures expand, we may see new selective pressures for traits like drought resistance or pesticide tolerance, but also the erosion of biodiversity and traditional knowledge. The study’s findings suggest that 'adaptation' is not inherently positive—it can entrench inequalities, as seen in the rise of corporate-controlled seed systems that displace small farmers.

Marginalized communities—small-scale farmers, indigenous groups, and women—are often the subjects of genetic adaptation without agency in its framing. The study’s focus on 'natural selection' obscures how colonial land grabs and industrial agriculture forced these groups into exploitative labor systems that shaped their genomes. For example, the high rates of lactase persistence in some African pastoralist groups reflect not just biological adaptation but centuries of coerced pastoralism under colonial rule.