The green people below are related to each other matrilineally . I n societies using matrilineal descent , the social relationship between children and their biological father tends to be different due to the fact that he is not a member of their matrilineal family. S imilarly, inheritance patterns for men in matrilineal societies often reflect the importance of the mother's brother. For example, in the Ashanti Kingdom of Central Ghana, a king traditionally passes his title and status on to his sister's son. A king's own biological son does not inherit the kingship because he is not a member of the ruling matrilineal family group.
Women usually inherit status and property directly from their mothers in matrilineal societies.
U nilineal descent has been found most commonly, but not exclusively, among materially rich hunters and gatherers, small-scale farmers, and nomadic pastoralists . The common factors for these types of societies are small populations that usually have more than adequate food supplies. Since then, many of these societies have disappeared or have been absorbed by larger societies that follow other rules of descent. A few societies have combined both patrilineal and matrilineal descent principles to form bilineal , or double, descent patterns as shown below. With this rare hybrid system, every individual is a member of his or her mother's matrilineage and father's patrilineage .