Final answer:
Humans began to utilize artificial selection around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, with the onset of agriculture. They selectively bred plants and animals with desired traits, effectively guiding their evolution, leading to the diverse range of domesticated species we have today.
Step-by-step explanation:
Artificial selection, a process of evolution controlled by humans, was utilized by our ancestors as early as approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. This coincides with the advent of agriculture. Humans began to deliberately select and cultivate plants with desirable traits, effectively shaping the evolution of those species; the same happened with the domestication of animals. For example, people chose wolves that were less aggressive and more sociable, leading eventually to the variety of dog breeds we have today. In a nutshell, artificial selection produced the diverse range of domesticated plants and animals that we rely on for food, work, and companionship.
Learn more about artificial selection