This usually occurs only when the ancestor was historically important. Everyone is a member of both his or her father's and mother's families. This is not the same as bilineal descent . This is not the same as bilateral descent . The ancestor is genealogically so remote that he or she is often thought of as a mythical being, animal, or plant.
Clans usually consist of a number of related unilineages .
See totem . See consanguinity . See affinity . The gender of the children is not relevant in making this distinction. See parallel cousin .