▁und iv ided . ▁If ▁every ▁brother ▁married ▁separately ▁and ▁had ▁children , ▁family ▁land ▁would ▁be ▁split ▁into ▁uns ust ain able ▁small ▁plots . ▁In ▁Europe , ▁this ▁outcome ▁was ▁avoided ▁through ▁the ▁social ▁practice ▁of ▁im part ible ▁inheritance , ▁under ▁which ▁most ▁sib lings ▁would ▁be ▁dis in her ited . ▁ ▁Types ▁F rat ernal ▁poly and ry ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁pract iced ▁among ▁nom adic ▁Tib et ans ▁in ▁Nep al , ▁parts ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁northern ▁India , ▁in ▁which ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁brothers ▁would ▁marry ▁the ▁same ▁woman . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁common ▁in ▁soci eties ▁marked ▁by ▁high ▁male ▁mort ality . ▁It ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁part ible ▁pat ern ity , ▁the ▁cultural ▁belief ▁that ▁a ▁child ▁can ▁have ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁father . ▁ ▁Non - fr at ernal ▁poly and ry ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁w ives ' ▁hus b ands ▁are ▁un related , ▁as ▁among ▁the ▁N ay ar ▁tribe ▁of ▁India , ▁where ▁girls ▁under go ▁a ▁rit ual ▁marriage ▁before ▁pub ert y , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁husband ▁is ▁acknowled ged ▁as ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁all ▁her ▁children . ▁However , ▁the ▁woman ▁may ▁never ▁coh ab it ▁with ▁that ▁man , ▁taking ▁multiple ▁lo vers ▁instead ; ▁these ▁men ▁must ▁acknow ledge ▁the ▁pat ern ity ▁of ▁their ▁children ▁( and ▁hence ▁demonstrate ▁that ▁no ▁cas te ▁prohib itions ▁have ▁been ▁bre ached ) ▁by ▁pay ing ▁the ▁mid w ife . ▁The ▁women ▁remain