I wonder---is there any hard evidence either way on the "whys" of
the agricultural revolution?

do you know that theory?

http://www.vegan-straight-edge.org.uk/GW_paper.htm

when you have experienced the addictive property of wheat for ex ,it give
some credibility to the idea .

from my perspective of eating raw  instinctivelly, i will go even farther
because for me foods have been denatured ( whatever the means, and cooking
is the big one ) or  food that are not original for the species,  have the
same ability (like the obvious ones grains and dairy) to become addictive .
because changing the nature of the food from its raw whole and undenatured
state ( as one will find in nature ) bypass the instinctive regulation of
eating that works thru a taste change in the mouth when metabolic needs are
met.

In their wild environment , animals knows when enough is enough .

it will explain why paelopeoples themselves were on a trend that brought the
need for agricultural revolution in many places of the world .
that explain why natives peoples from all over the world who have been
offered non original foods for them , fell off the wagon of health so
easelly.

Basically once the body is not physiologically getting what he need when he
need it ( that is regulated by instinct) it give rise to a feeling that is
driving us crazy for millenias , "there is not enough". We are at a paroxism
of that thought to the point that earth is  soon to be not enough .

In fact changing the nature of what we have been designed to eat is a
statement in attitude to god saying:
<what is offered to me is not  good enough i am going to do it better.>

heavy responsability to carry !

that explain why religions was born in response from that distance we took
with god

 From what i see, we are making it worse and worse .

for non believer god in that context translate as  "what is " which
acceptance  of bring feelings of trust , gratitude and wholeness.

jean-claude