Final answer:
High-ranking Polygons practiced polygamy and adopted children. Children of lower-ranked marriages inherited the lower rank due to the physical understanding of rank. This practice was tolerated to reinforce the hierarchical structure of society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Certain prominent Polygons engaged in polygamy, actively adopting both children and widows.
Their acquisition of offspring, spouses, enslaved individuals, and livestock often involved raids on less powerful clans.
Notably, if unions occurred between individuals of different social ranks or if a man took a secondary wife of lower status, the resulting children inherited the lower social position.
This acceptance stemmed from the perception that social rank held tangible significance, reinforcing the societal hierarchy.
The practice of marrying across ranks or incorporating secondary spouses of lower status persisted due to its role in upholding and strengthening the existing social structure.
In essence, this system allowed for the continued stratification of society based on the perceived reality of social standing, with the hierarchical framework remaining intact through the generations.