Read the following excerpt from a passage regarding medieval agriculture:
"Historians of medieval agriculture have long noted that the widespread adoption of the padded horse collar in Northern Europe during the eleventh century precipitated a series of profound socio-economic transformations. Prior to this innovation, the throat-and-girth harness constrained a horse’s pulling capacity, as it compressed the animal's windpipe when heavily loaded. The padded collar, by shifting the weight to the horse’s shoulders, permitted the use of horses in deep plowing. Because horses are generally faster and have greater stamina than oxen, agricultural output per cultivator increased significantly. This surplus food production directly fueled rapid demographic growth across Northern Europe. Furthermore, the increased speed of equine transport facilitated the expansion of regional market networks, as peasants could now efficiently transport surplus grain to growing urban centers."
Based on the explicit causal relationships described in the passage, match each antecedent cause with its direct, explicitly stated consequence.
- Redistributing the pulling weight away from the animal's windpipeThe enablement of deep plowing using equine labor
- The natural physical advantages of horses over traditional draft animalsThe elevation of crop production rates for individual farmers
- The generation of agricultural yields exceeding subsistence needsA substantial expansion of the human population in Northern Europe
- The enhanced capability to move agricultural goods efficientlyThe broadening of commercial trade connections to urban centers