Final answer:
The development of spoken language could have influenced the religious beliefs of Stone Age people by allowing beliefs to spread more quickly and creating a new class of religious leaders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of spoken language could have influenced the religious beliefs of Stone Age people in several ways. One possibility is that spoken language allowed religious beliefs to spread more quickly (option B). With the ability to communicate verbally, ideas and beliefs could be shared and passed down from generation to generation more effectively. This could have led to the establishment and development of religious traditions within Stone Age societies.
Another possibility is that spoken language created a new class of religious leaders (option C). The ability to communicate and convey complex ideas through language could have elevated certain individuals within the community to the role of religious leaders. These leaders could have been responsible for interpreting and explaining religious beliefs and practices to the rest of the group.
While options A and D are not directly supported by the information provided, they are worth considering as well. Spoken language may have increased the ability of family groups to interact with and understand each other, potentially leading to increased suspicion of outsiders (option A). Additionally, the development of spoken language could have encouraged humans to create cave paintings as a means of expressing and preserving their religious beliefs (option D).