Lineage works conceptually by establishing a documented, unbroken chain of succession or descent connecting a current descendant back through preceding generations to a primary ancestor or origin point. In biological genealogy and genetics, this works through the inheritance of DNA markers, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-chromosomes passed down across generations. In sociological and historical contexts, it operates through recorded genealogies, cultural traditions, inheritance laws, and ancestral archives that preserve the historical record of familial and tribal connections.