Final answer:
The Tuareg people are the dominant group of pastoral nomads in the Sahel zone of Niger and Mali, with a patriarchal and patrilineal kinship system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Dominant Pastoral Nomads of the Sahel
The Tuareg people are the dominant group (in numbers and power) of pastoral nomads in the Sahel zone of Niger and Mali. Their kinship system is patriarchal and patrilineal, historically related to other Berber (Amazigh) groups involved in the trans-Saharan trade, who over time formed powerful and influential Islamic empires in the region. The Tuareg, in particular, are synonymous with the trading and caravan leadership roles across the Sahara. These roles were vital for the maintenance and control of the lucrative trans-Saharan trade routes, especially during the era of the Gao Dynasty and early Songhai period.
The Tuareg's kinship lines follow a patriarchal system where men dominate positions of power, and ancestry is traced through the father's lineage. This system has historical parallels with the Bedouin tribes of Arabia, who also valued a patriarchal and patrilineal society within nomadic clan groups.