Feel Short? Blame Your Ancestors

Discovery News ^ | February 20, 2008 | Jennifer Viegas

[SunkenCiv]

The scientists collected data on 32 such groups, paying attention to the ecology, population density and female adult body size for each named society... "We focused on female adult body mass because we wanted to relate the variation back to female reproduction," Walker said, adding that earlier first periods relate to earlier first births.

The researchers determined that across all hunter-gatherer groups, body size directly relates to population density. The bigger the population, especially within island or island-like communities, the smaller the people will be. One example of an island-like community would be a tropical rainforest group that is clustered in a central spot. Such people tend to be shorter than groups living in tundra, savanna, desert and other open habitat areas.

Since prior research found that nutrition over time affects human height, the scientists theorize that in more densely populated areas, there is greater competition for resources and a higher instance of disease spread. Since mortality is consequently higher, natural selection favors earlier maturation so that individuals can reproduce before they die.

"For any given growth rate, if you stop growing earlier and start reproducing earlier, you are a smaller adult," Walker said. "This may be going on in some human groups where mortality is high."

[SunkenCiv]

And, it isn't. Earlier puberty results from richer nutrition -- and gosh, the population is more dense when there's more food around.

Instead, according to the researcher, natural selection has ESP.

[SunkenCiv]

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[ASA Vet]

We focused on female adult body

I'm fond of doing so too.

[bigheadfred]

"if you stop growing earlier and start reproducing earlier, you are a smaller adult," Walker said.

Apparently this Walker has some form of ESP. I don't think "genius" is the word I would use to describe that statement.

[shuckmaster]

Is this like the theory of random unrelated generalizations?

[bigheadfred]

theory of random unrelated generalizations?

Haven't they renamed that the Democratic Platform?

[blam]

"Such people tend to be shorter than groups living in tundra, savanna, desert and other open habitat areas."

The word 'tundra'is a Sami (Laplander) word. My mom had Sami DNA (mtDNA 'V')and she was so short that she could walk underneath my outstretched arm without touching her head. My dad was R1b and I'm 6 feet tall.

[shuckmaster]

Now, that’s a mutation for you.

[Sherman Logan]

This explains the much shorter average height of people who grow in in Manhattan as compared to Montana.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"We focused on female adult body mass because we wanted to relate the variation back to female reproduction," Walker said, adding that...it's a way to look at naked pictures of chicks without the wife getting mad. It's research, Honey!" ;)

[martin_fierro]

Feel Short? Blame Your Ancestors

Do these make me look short?

[bigheadfred]

What I find interesting is how the phrasing of a phrase elicits a response. “naked pictures of chicks” doesn’t do much for me, but “pictures of naked chicks” does.

Thanks for the Pings, SC.

I have been too wrapped up in my nephew’s case, Sgt. Evan Vela, to respond on many of them. But I enjoy reading them.

[Little Bill]

More ancestors, about 1995, My GGanny was only 5 feet and is sitting on a cushion.

[Little Bill]

1895 sorry.

[ValerieTexas]

I refuse to grow up, yet somehow I’ve been 5’ 8” since I was 12 years old.

[wildbill]

Less density of population and better nutrition may account for the relatively quick change in growth patterns of Americans.

Look at the doors and furnishings of early American homes and you see they were much smaller than our current population. And the growth curve seems to be increasing.

When i was born in 1940, the average man was 5’8” or less. Now, 5’8” is considered short.

[SunkenCiv]

Size is not, uh, never mind...

[ThreePuttinDude]

Hey, were you the Valerie from Texas on Sean Hannity’s show today?

Wednesday at the end of the 3rd hour, a gal called in and sounded like the way you post.

[trisham]

Interesting. I’m one of the shorter people in my family at 5’6”.

[ValerieTexas]

Nah, I was at work all day. No radio, no internet