Spread of cattle led to the loss of matrilineal descent in Africa: a coevolutionary analysis

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences • Vol/Iss. 270(1532) • The Royal Society • • Published In • Pages: 2425-2433 •
By Holden, Clare Janki, Mace, Ruth

Abstract

Through phylogenetic comparison, Holden and Mace explore the relationship between descent and cattle among a sample of 68 Bantu/Bantoid-speaking populations in Africa. The authors posit that when matrilineal cultures adopt cattle, they become patrilineal. Possible theories are offered to explain trends and variation in the data.

Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: emily.pitek