The main feature that separates Neolithic societies from Paleolithic societies is the shift from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a settled agricultural one. During the Neolithic period, humans began to cultivate plants and domesticate animals, allowing them to produce their food rather than relying solely on hunting and gathering wild resources. This shift to an agricultural lifestyle led to significant changes in social and economic structures, with people forming permanent settlements, building more advanced tools and technologies, and developing more complex forms of social organization.