The Dutch are currently the tallest people on earth, but 200 years ago they were among the shortest. A new study tries to explain how the Dutch population has grown 20 cm in average height in less than two centuries.
Researchers observed in the Netherlands that taller men and average height women had more children than their shorter counterparts, which is not usually the case in other countries.
The researchers conclude that this natural selection plus good nutrition (particularly the heavy consumption of dairy products) and low-level of social inequality help to understand why the Dutch are so tall, and continue to keep growing taller.
Original research paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences on April 7, 2015.
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