What defines a matrilineal clan?

A matrilineal clan is characterized by descent being traced through the mother's line. This means that individuals in a matrilineal society inherit their membership, property, and social status from their mothers rather than their fathers. This system gives prominence to maternal connections and typically influences lineage, inheritance rights, and social identity based on one's maternal ancestry.

Understanding this concept is crucial in anthropology as it reveals how different cultures organize family structures, kinship, and social roles. While some societies are patrilineal, where lineage is traced through the father, a matrilineal structure distinctly highlights the significance of maternal relationships in social organization. This has implications for the roles women play in such societies compared to those in more patriarchal systems.

The other options present different concepts of lineage and kinship. For example, focusing solely on maternal ancestry points to a subset of the broader matrilineal system, and including relatives from both sides implies a more generalized kinship structure that is not specific to matrilineal descent. By specifying the descent through the mother's line, the correct answer encapsulates the essential characteristic of what defines a matrilineal clan.