Early people in what is now southern Chile relied on shellfish and seals for good because
there were few land animals to hunt.
their religious beliefs demanded it.
the lack of rain prevented growing crops.
they were unable to adapt to their
environment.
Early people in what is now southern Chile relied on shellfish and seals for food because there were few land animals to hunt.
To arrive at this answer, we can reason based on the given options.
The first option states that there were few land animals to hunt. This seems reasonable, as southern Chile has a unique environment characterized by rugged terrain, dense forests, and a lack of large mammals suitable for hunting. Therefore, relying on marine resources like shellfish and seals would have been a logical choice for sustenance.
The second option states that their religious beliefs demanded it. However, this is not mentioned in the question prompt and cannot be assumed as a reason for relying on shellfish and seals for food in southern Chile.
The third option claims that the lack of rain prevented growing crops. While this might be a contributing factor to why they relied on shellfish and seals, it isn't mentioned explicitly in the question that they couldn't grow crops due to lack of rain.
The fourth option suggests that they were unable to adapt to their environment. There is no information provided to support this claim, and it is unlikely that a lack of adaptation would be the primary reason for relying on shellfish and seals as a food source.
Thus, based on the given options, the most plausible reason is that there were few land animals to hunt, leading these early people to rely on shellfish and seals for food in southern Chile.