[blastbeat]

> Instead the study suggests pro-social religions appeared after complex societies had already emerged.

This completely makes sense. I've always seen monotheistic religions in particular to be cunning policy strokes, which violently unified diverse groups and rites behind their (processional) banners. This reduced diversification and complexity, and accumulated power to the present day. In fact, the current monopolisation of the once so decentralized internet is an amusing reminiscence of that tale.