What descent system is described as tracing kinship through the father's line?

• A. Matrilineal
• B. Endogamy
• C. Bilateral descent
• D. Patrilineal

Answer: (D)

Descent systems describe how kinship is traced across generations in a society. In a patrilineal system, kinship and often property or clan membership are traced through the father's line. This means your lineage, inheritance, and family identity derive from your father and his relatives, such as your paternal grandfather or uncles, rather than from your mother’s side.

This stands in contrast to matrilineal systems, where lineage is traced through the mother's line; and to bilateral systems, where kinship is recognized through both parents equally. Endogamy relates to marrying within a group, not how kinship is traced. So tracing kinship through the father's line is patrilineal.