th ese ▁inheritance ▁laws ▁were ▁model led ▁on ▁M osa ic ▁Law ), ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁colon ies ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁rule ▁of ▁male ▁prim ogen iture . ▁ ▁In ▁northern ▁Gh ana , ▁a ▁region ▁where ▁male ▁prim ogen iture ▁pre domin ates , ▁rich ▁households ▁fav oured ▁sons ▁over ▁daughters . ▁It ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁first ▁born ▁sons ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁preferred ▁as ▁they ▁would ▁inherit ▁the ▁wealth ▁and ▁therefore ▁have ▁higher ▁re product ive ▁prospect s . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁patterns ▁of ▁child - pre ference ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁times ▁inheritance ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁world ▁has ▁generally ▁been ▁eg al itar ian ▁despite ▁parents ▁showing ▁favor it ism ▁towards ▁daughters ▁and ▁later - born ▁sons . ▁In ▁parent - son ▁relationships , ▁moth ers ▁usually ▁show ▁favour it ism ▁towards ▁the ▁first ▁son ▁and ▁f athers ▁to ▁later ▁born ▁sons ▁however ▁these ▁t endencies ▁have ▁lost ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁importance ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁inheritance . ▁ ▁Custom s ▁of ▁ult im ogen iture ▁among ▁far mers ▁has ▁been ▁explained ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁post pon ing ▁ret irement ▁so ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁feel ▁" d eth ron ed " ▁early ▁by ▁their ▁el dest ▁son . ▁This ▁line ▁of ▁thinking ▁has ▁been ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁pre em in ence ▁of ▁last born ▁sib lings ▁in ▁popular ▁myth ▁and ▁fol kl ore ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁in ▁some ▁cult ures ▁that ▁practice ▁male ▁pre im og enti ure ▁there ▁are ▁ambigu ous , ▁contradict ory ▁feelings ▁towards