<HTML>Hi Jason,
A very good answer:-) May I add that the oldest Homo sapiens remains are dated at 130kya.
>For my money, I think that climate change combined with increased
>population pressure led to cultivation
There are many ways to deal with population pressure, selective killing amongst them. So why didn't the inhabitants of the Near East opt for an easier solution to increasing population than changing their entire lifestyle. It's too simplistic and leaves out the matter of internal social dynamics.
Mike.</HTML>