Refers to the early cultures of humans and other hominins marked by reliance on wild plants and animals for subsistence. They were often nomadic, following the wild herds or moving with the seasons. Until about 12,000 years ago or somewhat earlier, when agriculture and animal domestication emerged in southwest Asia and in Mesoamerica, all peoples were hunters and gatherers. This stage in human development was retained for different amounts of time in different areas; in some environments not conducive to farming or where natural plants and animals remain plentiful, hunter-gatherer cultures still exist.
