Scimex: An international study has looked at how the Dutch were able to change
from having one of the shortest populations, to currently being the
tallest people on earth, over a 200 year period. The change was so
quick, it was first assumed that it must be an environmental reason, but
the study has raised the theory that it could also have been caused by
natural selection. The Dutch are currently the tallest people on earth, but 200 years ago
they were among the shortest. Such a substantial increase—a gain of 20
cm—over such a short period suggests an environmental cause. Yet, the
height increase in the Netherlands is more pronounced than in other
Western populations, raising the possibility that natural selection has
also favoured taller stature. Across three decades, we found that taller
men and average height women had more children than their shorter
counterparts. Both natural selection and environmental conditions may
help explain why the Dutch are so very tall.
