As native populations migrated and settled across the vast expanse of North America over time, they developed distinct and increasingly complex societies by adapting to and transforming their diverseenvironments. I. Different native societies adapted to and transformed their environments through innovations in agriculture, resource use, and social structure. A) The spread of maize cultivation from present-day Mexico northward into the present-day American Southwest and beyondsupported economic development, settlement, advanced irrigation, and social diversification among societies.