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{{Short description|Line of ancestors and descendants of a person}}{{Anthropology of kinship}}{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}In anthropology, a lineage is a unilineal descent group that traces its ancestry to a demonstrably shared ancestor, known as the apical ancestor.WEB, 2024-04-16, Definition of LINEAGE,weblink 2024-04-26, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, en, WEB, Yinhawangka People,weblink 2024-04-26, Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation, Paraburdoo, Western Australia, ENCYCLOPEDIA, Lineage {{!, Family History, Kinship & Descent |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/lineage-sociology |access-date=2024-04-26 |language=en}} Lineages are formed through relationships traced either exclusively through the maternal line (matrilineage), paternal line (patrilineage), or some combination of both (ambilineal).WEB, The Nature of Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1),weblink 2024-04-26, Palomar Community College, San Marcos, California, The cultural significance of matrilineal or patrilineal descent varies greatly, shaping social structures, inheritance patterns, and even rituals across societies.WEB, 2023-05-15, "Maternal" vs. "Paternal" – What's The Difference?,weblink 2024-04-26, Choice DNA, en-US,

Characteristics

A lineage is a descent group characterized by unilineal descent. This means that lineage membership is determined by tracing ancestry through either a single line (unilineal), either maternal or paternal, or through a combination of both lines (ambilineal). This differentiates lineages from other descent groups like clans, which may have a shared ancestor but lack the demonstrably documented or traditionally accepted apical ancestor from whom all members descend.WEB, Clans and Lineages,weblink 2024-04-26, Between Two Worlds, St. Olaf College, en-US, There are three forms of lineage, matrilineage, patrilineage, and ambilineal.File:Baby Mother Grandmother and Great Grandmother.jpg|thumb|An example of a Matrilineage over 4 generations]]In matrilineage, descent is traced exclusively through the maternal line.WEB, Definition of Matrilineage,weblink 2024-04-26, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, en, Children inherit lineage membership from their mother, and the lineage consists of a mother, her children, and her children's children who are all matrilineally related. The Minangkabau people of Indonesia, being a Jew in the Jewish religion,JOURNAL, Paz RY, 2021-09-29, The Stubborn Subversiveness of Judaism's Matrilineal Principle,weblink Verfassungsblog, en-GB, and the Khasi people of India are well-known examples of societies with prominent matrilineal structures.ENCYCLOPEDIA, Matrilineal society {{!, Definition, Examples, & Facts |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/matrilineal-society |access-date=2024-04-26 |language=en}}In patrilineage, descent is traced exclusively through the paternal line.WEB, Definition of Patrilineage,weblink 2024-04-26, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, en, Children inherit lineage membership from their father, and the lineage consists of a father, his children, and his children's children who are all patrilineally related.JOURNAL, Strassmann BI, Kurapati NT, June 2016, What Explains Patrilineal Cooperation?,weblink Current Anthropology, en, 57, S13, S118–S130, 10.1086/685762, 0011-3204, Patrilineages are more common globally, with examples found in many cultures, such as much of South East Asia.JOURNAL, Shenk MK, Begley RO, Nolin DA, Swiatek A, September 2019, When does matriliny fail? The frequencies and causes of transitions to and from matriliny estimated from a de novo coding of a cross-cultural sample, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 374, 1780, 20190006, 10.1098/rstb.2019.0006, 6664135, 31303165, WEB, Patrilineage {{!, sociology {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/patrilineage |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}File:Ambilineal Descent System.png|thumb|An example of an Ambilineal lineage]]In ambilineal lineage, descent is traced through either the maternal and/or the paternal lines, usually meaning that the individuals choose whether to affiliate with their mother or their father's group, or both.JOURNAL, Coult AD, February 1964, Role allocation, position structuring, and ambilineal descent., American Anthropologist, 66, 1, 29–40, 10.1525/aa.1964.66.1.02a00030, WEB, 2022-12-05, Ambilineal Descent Definition & Explanation,weblink 2024-04-26, Sociology Plus, en-US, Ambilineal lineage can be bilineal or bilateral.WEB, The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms,weblink 2024-05-01, www.palomar.edu, WEB, The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms,weblink 2024-05-01, www.palomar.edu, WEB, The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms,weblink 2024-05-01, www.palomar.edu, Ambilineal lineages are relatively rare in more under-developed societies, such as South East Asia, and very common in modernized societies, such as the United States and Western Europe.WEB, Reading: Lines of Descent and Family Stages {{!, Sociology |url=https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-intro-to-sociology/chapter/reading-lines-of-descent-and-family-stages/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |publisher=Lumen Learning |vauthors=Matresse C}}In Bilineal lineage (also known as double descent), children are part of both their mother and their father's groups.JOURNAL, Bell, Kenton, 2014-12-24, bilineal descent definition,weblink Open Education Sociology Dictionary, en-US, WEB, 2018-04-28, 10.6: Kinship,weblink 2024-05-01, Social Sci LibreTexts, en, This results in many more people in a lineage.WEB, Types of Descent: Patrilineal, Matrilineal, and Bilateral Systems,weblink 2024-05-01, Testbook, en, Examples of bilineal lineage include the Yako people of Nigeria.WEB, 2023-07-13, Meaning of Double Descent in Anthropology {{!, Anthroholic |url=https://anthroholic.com/double-descent |access-date=2024-05-01 |language=en}}Lineages play a large role in social organization across cultures.WEB, 2023-05-28, What is Lineage in Anthropology?,weblink 2024-04-28, Anthroholic, en, They influence inheritance patterns, with property and titles often passed down within the lineage.WEB, 2020-11-13, Heirs’ Property Landowners,weblink 2024-04-28, Farmers.gov, en, In addition, lineages often have religious significance, with one's ancestorial history often determining one's religion and position in that religion.WEB, Links between childhood religious upbringing and current religious identity,weblink Pew Research Center, The structure of lineages also leads to stability, social obligations, and reciprocity among members, providing support networks and a sense of shared identity.WEB, Tracing Roots: The Significance of Family Trees in Traditional Societies,weblink 2024-04-28, The Intergovernmental College of Arms and Traditional Cultures (ICATS), Euclid University,

See also

• Kinship terminology

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• JOURNAL, Kuper A, 1982, Lineage Theory: A Critical Retrospect, Annual Review of Anthropology, 11, 71–95, 10.1146/annurev.an.11.100182.000443, 2155776,

External links

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