What was a significant factor that led hunters and gatherers to form larger organizations?

The development of domesticated plants and animals, leading to agriculture, was a significant factor that contributed to hunters and gatherers forming larger organizations. This shift from a nomadic lifestyle to agricultural practices allowed communities to settle in one place, resulting in a surplus of food. With food resources becoming more stable and abundant, populations grew, and social structures began to develop.

Agriculture enabled groups to support larger numbers of people and fostered more complex societies with specialized roles, such as farmers, artisans, and eventually leaders or governing bodies. The increased productivity associated with farming meant that communities could support larger organizations, leading to the establishment of villages and eventually towns, setting the foundation for the development of cities and civilizations.

The other options—migration to urban areas, expansion of trade routes, and discovery of metal tools—did play roles in societal development, but they are secondary to the foundational change that agriculture brought about in the way of life for these early human societies.