Final answer:
In small-scale pedestrian foraging societies, succession to political offices typically happens informally, with leadership roles being situational and based on individual prowess and skills. As societies evolve into chiefdoms or states, roles become more formalized and often hereditary, with power being centralized in a chief or king and their lineage.
Step-by-step explanation:
In small-scale pedestrian foraging societies, succession to political offices typically occurs through informal leadership patterns rather than the formal political structures observed in larger, more centralized societies. Leadership roles in these societies are often situational and temporary, relying on personal attributes such as prowess, personality, and the situational necessity of the task at hand. For example, an individual might be recognized as a leader during a hunt, another in gathering resources, or another in leading rituals. These leadership positions are not formally inherited but are naturally assumed based on the individual's abilities and the group's needs at a given time.
However, as societies grow in size and complexity, evolving into chiefdoms or states, political organization tends to become more formalized. In such cases, leadership roles become increasingly hereditary. Chiefs or kings exercise more centralized power, supported by councils of elders or heads of extended families. Over time, leadership roles may be passed down through kin, solidifying the establishment of a ruling lineage within the community.