[en] The question whether clans are a purely statistical concept or physically observable is addressed by assuming they are massive. The consequence of this assumption is explored in multiparticle dynamics. The problem is approached by studying clan masses and rapidity distributions in each substructure in e⁺e^- annihilation and hh collisions; it is found that such properties can indeed characterize the different components. Results of this search do not exclude the possibility that clans could be observable, a challenging problem for future experimental work