In my research I came across a culture that believed women were the ones to pass on their genes to offspring. Men however, didn't pass on their genes, but their spirit. The spirit was the seat of personality for the human being, and the place where attributes and characteristics precided. Good as well as bad characteristics like bravery, disloyalty, etc would be carried over from the man.
For my setting, I would want to make this change biological rather than cultural, to make humans distinct and to make matrilineal descent the norm (I am aware that i dont need to justify matrilineality, but this sounds more interesting).Mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from the mother, so maybe my scientific explanation could be that in this world mitochondrial DNA (outside the cell nucleus) is the source of physical characteristics and the cell's nucleus (it might fit this idea to call it the cell's soul) only controls personality.
Is this change in human biology believable? Would there be any realistic ramifications of this for a society? How would it influence culture if at all?
For my setting, I would want to make this change biological rather than cultural, to make humans distinct and to make matrilineal descent the norm (I am aware that i dont need to justify matrilineality, but this sounds more interesting).Mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from the mother, so maybe my scientific explanation could be that in this world mitochondrial DNA (outside the cell nucleus) is the source of physical characteristics and the cell's nucleus (it might fit this idea to call it the cell's soul) only controls personality.
Is this change in human biology believable? Would there be any realistic ramifications of this for a society? How would it influence culture if at all?