The correct answer is: A shift towards smaller stone tools.
The Mesolithic Age, or Middle Stone Age, was a period of human prehistory that lasted from around 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. It was a time of transition between the Paleolithic Age, or Old Stone Age, and the Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age. During the Mesolithic Age, humans began to develop new technologies and adapt to new environments. One of the most significant changes during this time was the shift towards smaller stone tools.
Smaller stone tools were more efficient and easier to use than the larger tools that were used during the Paleolithic Age. They were also more portable, which allowed humans to travel further and explore new areas. The development of smaller stone tools was a major step forward in human evolution and helped to pave the way for the development of agriculture and other technologies that would come later.
The other options are incorrect because:
- The invention of the wheel did not occur until the Neolithic Age.
- The decline of human populations did not occur during the Mesolithic Age. In fact, the opposite is true: human populations began to increase during this time.
- The rise of large empires did not occur until the Bronze Age.