article_snippet: However, Mark Pagel, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading, told Nature that he believed the key to increasing political complexity was language not religion.
article_snippet: he said that societies became more complex as networks of trade and reputation emerged.
article_snippet: he said: 'As soon as you have a large society generating lots of goods and services, this wealth can be put to use by someone who can grab the reins of power. '