From matrimonial practices to genetic diversity in Southeast Asian populations: the signature of the matrilineal puzzle

In matrilineal populations, the descent group affiliation is transmitted by women whereas the socio-political power frequently remains in the hands of men. This situation, named the ‘matrilineal puzzle’, is expected to promote local endogamy as a coping mechanism allowing men to maintain their decision-making power over their natal descent group. In this paper, we revisit this ‘matrilineal puzzle’ from a population genetics' point of view....