TITLE:
Demographic and Genealogical Analysis of the Population of Toulal (Meknes, Morocco): Family Structure and Inbreeding
AUTHORS:
Ismaïl Boujenane, Mohammed Boujenane
KEYWORDS:
Sibling Size, Parental Age at First Child, Age Gap between Spouses, Lifespan, Family Relationships
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.2,
February
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study presents a demographic and genealogical analysis of the Aït Saâdallah community of Toulal (Meknes, Morocco), composed of the Aït Messaoud and Aït Ouaârab factions. Genealogical data from 1533 individuals born between 1850 and 2015 were analyzed. Demographic parameters included family size, parental age at first birth, spousal age gap, intergenesic intervals, lifespan, kinship structure, and inbreeding coefficients. The mean number of children per individual was 4.17 ± 2.40. Men and women had similar average numbers of boys (2.43 ± 1.47) and girls (2.45 ± 1.50). The average age at first birth was 28.5 ± 5.6 years for men and 20.9 ± 3.6 years for women, with a mean spousal age gap of 8.95 ± 3.85 years. The intergenesic interval averaged 3.13 ± 1.96 years. Mean lifespan was 66.2 ± 18.9 years and was significantly higher in women than in men (P P