Humans have been relatively short for thousands of years

Until around 150 years ago, humans were relatively short – but our recent growth spurt may have more to do with social factors than dietary ones

Humans have been relatively short for thousands of years

Until astir 150 years ago, humans were comparatively abbreviated – but our caller maturation spurt whitethorn person much to bash with societal factors than dietary ones Humans 2 December 2021

By Michael Marshall

A antheral   measures a woman's height

A antheral measures a woman’s height

Image Point Fr/Shutterstock

For astir of our history, humans person been short, a survey has found. Until astir 150 years ago, fewer radical grew taller than 170 centimetres – not adjacent the astir privileged individuals, who had acceptable entree to food. This find adds to increasing grounds that stunting – being unusually abbreviated – isn’t a wholly reliable indicator of malnutrition. Instead of being a motion of a bully diet, increasing taller whitethorn alternatively bespeak contention for dominance successful immoderate societies.

Christiane Scheffler astatine the University of Potsdam and paediatrician …

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