Human height varies according to both "nature" and "nurture". The particular human genome that an individual inherits is a large part of the first variable (nature), and a combination of health and environmental factors present before adulthood (when growth stops) are a major part of the second determinant ("nurture"). Hereditary factors include both genes and chromosomes, and are inborn. Environmental factors are events that occur before adult height is reached, such as diet, exercise, and living conditions.

When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group. Exceptional height variation (around 20% deviation from average) within such a population is usually due to gigantism or dwarfism; which are medical conditions due to specific genes or to endocrine abnormalities. Gigantism or giantism, (from Greek gigas, gigantas " giant " is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height Dwarfism ( is a medical condition in humans characterized by extreme small size History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance The endocrine system is an integrated system of small organs that involve the release of extracellular signaling molecules known as Hormones The endocrine system is instrumental In regions of extreme poverty or prolonged warfare, environmental factors like malnutrition during childhood and/or adolescence may account for marked reductions in adult stature even without the presence of any of these medical conditions. This is one reason that immigrant populations from regions of extreme poverty to regions of plenty may show an increase in stature, despite sharing the same gene pool. In Population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique Alleles in a Species or Population.

The average height for each sex within a population is significantly different, with adult males being (on average) taller than adult females. This difference may be attributed to sex chromosomal differences, XY (male) as opposed to XX (female). Women ordinarily reach their greatest height at a younger age than men. Vertical growth stops when the long bones stop lengthening, which occurs with the closure of epiphyseal plates. The epiphyseal plate (or epiphysial plate, physis, or growth plate) is a hyaline Cartilage plate in the metaphyses of children and These plates are bone growth centers that disappear ("close") under the hormonal surges brought about by the completion of puberty. Puberty generally occurs several years earlier in young women than in young men, and so final adult height is reached earlier in women. Adult height for one sex in a particular ethnic group follows more or less a normal distribution. The normal distribution, also called the Gaussian distribution, is an important family of Continuous probability distributions applicable in many fields

Adult height between ethnic groups often differs significantly, as presented in detail in the chart below. For example,the average height of women from the Czech Republic is currently greater than that of men from Malawi. This may be due to genetic differences, to childhood lifestyle differences (nutrition, sleep patterns, physical labor) or to both.

At 2. 57 metres (8 ft 5. 5 in), Leonid Stadnyk is the world's tallest living man and is from Ukraine. Leonid Ivanovych Stadnyk (Леонід Іванович Стадник (born 1971 in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The tallest man in modern history was Robert Pershing Wadlow from Alton, Illinois, who was born in 1918 and stood 8 ft 11. Robert Pershing Wadlow ( February 22, 1918 &ndash July 15, 1940) is the tallest person in medical history for whom there is irrefutable Alton is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 15 miles north of St The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 1 inches (2. 72 m) at the time of his death in 1940. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The maximal height that an individual attains in adulthood is not maintained throughout life if that life is a very long one. Again, depending on chromosomal (male v. female), genetic, and environmental factors, there is shrinkage of stature that may begin in middle age in some individuals but is universal in the extremely aged. This decrease in height is due to such factors as decreased height of inter-vertebral discs because of dessication, atrophy of soft tissues, and postural changes secondary to degenerative disease. Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness or the process of extreme drying Atrophy is the partial or complete Wasting away of a part of the Body.

Average adult height around the world

Below are average adult heights by country. (The original studies and sources should be consulted for details on methodology and the exact populations measured, surveyed, or considered. )  

Determinants of growth and height

An example of human growth velocity under optimal conditions (Courtesy: Richard Steckel)

The study of human growth is known as auxology. Human development is the process of Growing to maturity In biological terms this entails growth from a one-celled Zygote to an adult Human being Auxology, sometimes called Auxanology (from Greek grc αὔξω auxō, or grc αὐξάνω auxanō, "growth" and grc -λογία Growth and height have long been recognized as a measure of the health and wellness of individuals, hence part of the reasoning for the use of growth charts. Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity For individuals, as indicators of health problems, growth trends are tracked for significant deviations and growth is also monitored for significant deficiency from genetic expectations. Genetics is a major factor in determining the height of individuals, though it is far less influential in regard to populations. Average height is increasingly used as a measure of the health and wellness (standard of living and quality of life) of populations. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people Attributed as a significant reason for the trend of increasing height in parts of Europe is the egalitarian populations where proper medical care and adequate nutrition are relatively equally distributed. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Changes in diet (nutrition) and a general rise in quality of health care and standard of living are the cited factors in the Asian populations. This article is primarily about the human diet For a discussion of animal diets see List of feeding behaviours. Average height in the United States has remained essentially stagnant since the 1950s even as the racial and ethnic background of residents has shifted. Severe malnutrition is known to cause stunted growth in North Korean, portions of African, certain historical European, and other populations. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. Diet (in addition to needed nutrients; such things as junk food and attendant health problems such as obesity), exercise, fitness, pollution exposure, sleep patterns, climate (see Allen's rule and Bergmann's Rule for example), and even happiness (psychological well-being) are other factors that can affect growth and final height. Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected Physical fitness is used in two close meanings general fitness (a state of Health and well-being and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Sleep is a Natural state of bodily rest observed throughout the animal kingdom Allen's rule is a biological rule posited by Joel Asaph Allen in 1877 In Zoology, Bergmann's rule is an ecogeographic rule that correlates Latitude with body mass in animals

Sir Francis Galton's (1889) data showing the relationship between offspring height (928 individuals) as a function of mean parent height (205 sets of parents). Sir Francis Galton FRS ( 16 February 1822 &ndash 17 January 1911) half-cousin of Charles Darwin, was an Heritability (h^2) is equal to the slope of the regression line, 0. In Genetics, Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variation in a population that is attributable to genetic variation among individuals 57.

Height is, like other phenotypic traits, determined by a combination of genetics and environmental factors. A phenotype is any observable characteristic of an Organism, such as its morphology, Development, biochemical or physiological properties Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is In Epidemiology, environmental factors are those determinants of disease that are not transmitted genetically. Genetic potential plus nutrition minus stressors is a basic formula. Genetically speaking, the heights of mother and son and of father and daughter correlate, suggesting that a short mother will more likely bear a shorter son, and tall fathers will have tall daughters. ^[63] Humans grow fastest (other than in the womb) as infants and toddlers (birth to roughly age 2) and then during the pubertal growth spurt. Toddler is a common term for a young Child who is learning to walk or "toddle", generally considered to be the second stage of development after infancy A slower steady growth velocity occurs throughout childhood between these periods; and some slow, steady, declining growth after the pubertal growth spurt levels off is common. Child article read through the various talk pages for the debate -- it's been put on and removed twice These are also critical periods where stressors such as malnutrition (or even severe child neglect) have the greatest effect. Conversely, if conditions are optimal then growth potential is maximized; and also there is catch-up growth — which can be significant — for those experiencing poor conditions when those conditions improve.

Moreover, the health of a mother throughout her life, especially during her critical periods, and of course during pregnancy, has a role. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female A healthier child and adult develops a body that is better able to provide optimal prenatal conditions. The pregnant mother's health is important as gestation is itself a critical period for an embryo/fetus, though some problems affecting height during this period are resolved by catch-up growth assuming childhood conditions are good. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular A fetus (or foetus or fœtus) is a developing Mammal or other Viviparous Vertebrate, after the Embryonic stage and Thus, there is an accumulative generation effect such that nutrition and health over generations influences the height of descendants to varying degrees.

The age of the mother also has some influence on the her child's height. Although 2 Esdras recorded that "Those born in the strength of youth" were taller than "those born during the time of old age, when the womb is failing"^[64], studies in modern times have observed a gradual increase in height with maternal age. 2 Esdras is the name of this book in many English versions of the Bible, but it is called 4 Esdras in the Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims Bible ^[65][66][67]

The precise relationship between genetics and environment is complex and uncertain. The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature" i Human height is 90% heritable^[68] and has been considered polygenic since the Mendelian-biometrician debate a hundred years ago. In Genetics, Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variation in a population that is attributable to genetic variation among individuals Inheritance of quantitative traits or polygenic inheritance refers to the inheritance of a phenotypic characteristic that varies in degree and can be attributed to Evolutionary thought, the idea that species change over time has roots in antiquity in the ideas of the Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Muslims ^[69] The only gene so far attributed with normal height variation is HMGA2. This is only one of many, as each copy of the allele concerned confers an additional 0. An allele (ˈæliːl (UK /əˈliːl/ (US (from the Greek αλληλος allelos, meaning each other) is one member of a pair or series of different forms 4 cm, accounting for just 0. 3% of population variance. ^[68]

Race and height

See also: Race and health, Race and intelligence, height and intelligence, and health and intelligence

The Nilotic peoples of Sudan such as the Dinka have been described as the tallest in the world, with the males in some communities having average heights of 1. Race and health research is mostly from the United States. It has found both current and historical racial differences in the frequency treatments and availability of treatments The study of race and intelligence is a controversial field which seeks to determine whether or not human intellectual abilities vary between races The modern controversy A positive Correlation exists between human IQ and height within national populations Health and intelligence are two closely-related aspects of human well-being Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contemporary usage refers to some Ethnic groups mainly in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern The Dinka are a group of tribes of south Sudan, inhabiting the swamplands of the Bahr el Ghazal region of 9 m (6 ft 3 in) and females at 1. 8 m (5 ft 11 in)^[70]. A notable example is Manute Bol, who, at 2. Manute Bol (born October 16, 1962) is a Sudanese born Basketball player and Activist. 31m(7ft 7in), was the tallest basketball player in the NBA. The Dinka are characterized as having long legs, narrow bodies and short trunks, an adaptation to hot weather^[71]. However, a 1995 study casts doubt on the claim of extraordinary height in Dinka, which after studying the average height of Dinka males in one location, listed the actual number as 1. 76 m (5 ft 9. 45 in. ) ^[72] Adults of Pygmy peoples have an approximate average height of 1. Pygmies (singular Pygmy) refers to a member of any human group whose adult males grow to less than 150 cm (4 feet 11 inches in average height or less than 155 cm 5 m (4 ft 11 in).

Process of growth

Growth in stature, determined by its various factors, results from the lengthening of bones via cellular divisions chiefly regulated by somatotropin (human growth hormone (hGH)) secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. Growth hormone ( GH) is a Peptide hormone that stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals Growth hormone ( GH) is a Peptide hormone that stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals The pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an Endocrine gland about the size of a Pea. Somatotropin also stimulates the release of another growth inducing hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mainly by the liver. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1 that was once called somatomedin C is a Polypeptide Protein Hormone similar in Molecular structure Both hormones operate on most tissues of the body, have many other functions, and continue to be secreted throughout life; with peak levels coinciding with peak growth velocity, and gradually subsiding with age after adolescence. The bulk of secretion occurs in bursts (especially for adolescents) with the largest during sleep. Exercise promotes secretion. Adolescents who take steroids can experience stunted growth. A positive net nutrition is also important, with proteins and various other nutrients especially important.

The majority of linear growth occurs as growth of cartilage at the epiphysis (ends) of the long bones which gradually ossify to form hard bone. Epiphysis is the name for a rounded end of a long Bone. The epiphysis is filled with red Bone marrow, which produces Erythrocytes, or red blood cells The long bones are those that are longer than they are wide and grow primarily by elongation of the Diaphysis, with an Epiphysis at the ends of the growing Bone Endochondral ossification is one of the two processes during Fetal development of the mammalian skeletal system in which Bone tissue is The legs compose approximately half of adult human height, and leg length is a somewhat sexually dimorphic trait. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. Height is also attained from growth of the spine, and contrary to popular belief, men are the "leggier" sex with a longer leg to torso ratio, conversely to women's longer torso to leg ratio. (The illusion of the proportion being the other way around is caused by fatty deposits placed high on women's hips. ) Some of this growth occurs after the growth spurt of the long bones has ceased or slowed. The majority of growth during growth spurts is of the long bones. Additionally, the variation in height between populations and across time is largely due to changes in leg length. The remainder of height consists of the cranium. Height is sexually dimorphic and statistically it is more or less normally distributed, but with heavy tails. In Probability theory, heavy-tailed distributions are Probability distributions whose tails are not exponentially bounded that is they have heavier tails than the

Height abnormalities

Most intra-population variance of height is genetic. Short stature and tall stature are usually not a health concern. Short stature refers to a height of a human being which is below expected If the degree of deviation from normal is significant, hereditary short stature is known as familial short stature and tall stature is known as familial tall stature. Confirmation that exceptional height is normal for a respective person can be ascertained from comparing stature of family members and analyzing growth trends for abrupt changes, among others. There are, however, various diseases and disorders that cause growth abnormalities. Most notably, extreme height may be pathological, such as gigantism (very rare) resulting from childhood hyperpituitarism, and dwarfism which has various causes. Gigantism or giantism, (from Greek gigas, gigantas " giant " is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height Dwarfism ( is a medical condition in humans characterized by extreme small size Rarely, no cause can be found for extreme height; very short persons may be termed as having idiopathic short stature. Idiopathic short stature (ISS refers to extreme Short stature that does not have a diagnostic explanation ( idiopathic designates a condition The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 approved hGH treatment for those 2. 25 standard deviations below the population mean (approximately the lowest 1. 2% of the population). An even rarer occurrence, or at least less used term and recognized "problem", is idiopathic tall stature.

If not enough growth hormone is produced and/or secreted by the pituitary gland, then a patient with growth hormone deficiency can undergo treatment. This treatment involves the injection of pure growth hormone into thick tissue to jump-start the growth process.

Role of an individual's height

Tallness has been suggested to be associated with better cardio-vascular health and overall better-than-average health and longevity (Njolstad et al. 1996,^[73] McCarron et al 2002^[74]). However, height may not be causative of better health and longevity (Miura et al. 2002). Other studies have found no association, or suggest that shorter stature is associated with better health (Samaras & Elrick, 1999^[75]). On the other hand, being excessively tall can cause various medical problems, including cardiovascular issues, due to the increased load on the heart to supply the body with blood, and issues resulting from the increased time it takes the brain to communicate with the extremities. For example, Robert Wadlow, the tallest man known to verifiable history, developed walking difficulties as his height continued to increase throughout his life. Robert Pershing Wadlow ( February 22, 1918 &ndash July 15, 1940) is the tallest person in medical history for whom there is irrefutable In many of the pictures of the later portion of his life, Wadlow can be seen gripping something for support. Late in his life he was forced to wear braces on his legs and to walk with a cane, and he died after developing an infection in his legs because he was unable to feel the irritation and cutting caused by his leg braces (it is important to note that he died in 1940, before the widespread use of modern antibiotics). In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa Height extremes of either excessive tallness or shortness can cause social exclusion and discrimination for both men and women (heightism). Heightism is a form of Discrimination based on height. In principle it can refer to unfavorable treatment of either unusually tall or short people

Epidemiological studies have also demonstrated a positive correlation between height and intelligence. Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the Health and Illness of populations and serves as the foundation and Logic of interventions made in the Intelligence (also called intellect) is an Umbrella term used to describe a property of the Mind that encompasses many related abilities such as the capacities The reasons for this association appear to include that height serves as a biomarker of nutritional status or general mental and physical health during development, that common genetic factors may influence both height and intelligence, and that both height and intelligence are affected by adverse early environmental exposures. A biomarker is a substance used as an indicator of a biologic state History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance

Main article: Height and intelligence

In addition, an individual's height can be largely a part of what social clique, or group that they fall in to, though this is usually associated with pre-teens and teenagers. A positive Correlation exists between human IQ and height within national populations For example, in some schools, students on the basketball team might be "cool," and those with short stature wouldn't likely make the team. Therefore, in some cases, this could contribute to them being classified as "uncool," which can be detrimental to that particular individual's self-esteem. A study done on men in Sweden has shown that there is a strong correlation between subnormal stature and suicide. ^[76]

This can also sometimes be translated over into the corporate world. Individuals with short stature can sometimes appear to not have any leadership ability or power, since some people might not take them seriously due to their short stature. However, this is not always the case with most employers. Historically this assumption has not always reflected reality; for instance Napoleon was not much taller than 5ft according to sources (though Napoleon's height is subject to great debate, and he may have been as tall as 5' 7", see Napoleon's height for further information). Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order was 5'. Saint Ignatius redirects here for other Saints see Ignatius. Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Íñigo Oñaz López de Loyola Both Lenin and Stalin were of below average height. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party A modern example would be Deng Xiaoping of China who undertook massive reforms to the Chinese economy in the 1980s and was reported to have only been 5' 2". Deng Xiaoping ( 22 August 1904 19 February 1997) was a prominent Chinese Revolutionary, Politician, Pragmatist and Reformer China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

The role of height in sports

Height often plays a crucial role in sports. For most sports, height is useful as it affects the leverage between muscle volume and bones towards greater speed of movement. It is most valuable in sports like basketball and volleyball, where the "short" players are almost always well above average in height compared to the general population. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet In men's professional basketball, the guards, the smallest players, are usually around 6'2" to 6'6" (1. The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center 88 to 1. 98 m), and the centers, the tallest players, are generally from 6'10" to 7'2" (2. The center, colloquially the five, is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game 08 to 2. 18 m). Famous basketball player Shaquille O'Neal is listed at 7'1"^[77] (2. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6 1972 frequently referred to simply as " Shaq " is an African American Professional basketball 16 m). In some sports, such as horse racing, auto racing, figure skating, diving, and gymnastics, a smaller frame is more valuable. In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Diving off a deck into the Great South Bay of Long Islandjpg|thumb|A man dives into the Great South Bay of Long Island. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination In other sports, the role of height is specific to particular positions (i. e . In American Football, running backs have an advantage if they are shorter than the defenders due to lower centers of gravity and decreased visibility. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with A running back ( RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. ) In weightlifting shorter levers are advantageous and taller than average competitors usually compete in the 105 kg + group. Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell

Association football (Soccer)

For example, in Association football, tall goalkeepers have an advantage because they have greater armspans and can jump higher easily, so one will rarely, if ever, see a short goalkeeper at the professional level. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered However, shorter goalkeepers will have an easier time reaching low shots as they can reach the ground fractionally sooner than taller keepers. In wide positions and certain attacking ones, height is not always important with some of the best players in the world (e. g. Garrincha, Edgar Davids, Romário and Maradona) being shorter than average and in many cases gaining an advantage with their low center of gravity. Manuel Francisco dos Santos (October 28 1933 &ndash January 20 1983 known by the nickname "Garrincha" ("little bird" was a Brazilian Edgar Steven Davids (born March 13, 1973 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Dutch professional football player Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29 1966 in Rio de Janeiro) better known simply as Romário, is a former Brazilian football Center However, height is generally considered advantageous for central defenders and for target men forwards who usually aim to score with their head for instance Jan Koller, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Niall Quinn and Peter Crouch. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Jan Koller (born March 30 1973 in Smetanova Lhota, Czech Republic, then Czechoslovakia) is a Czech football player who Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Niall John Quinn ( Irish name: Niall Seán Ó Cuinn) (Honorary MBE (b Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981 is an English international football player

Cricket

Similarly, in cricket, some great batsmen like Donald Bradman 5 ft 7 in (1. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Sir Donald George Bradman, AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001 often referred to as The Don, was an Australian Cricketer widely 7 m), Sachin Tendulkar 5 ft 5 in (1. 7 m), Brian Lara 5 ft 6 in (1. Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969 ( nicknamed, "The Prince of Port-of-Spain" "The Prince of Trinidad" or simply "The Prince" is a 7 m), Sunil Gavaskar 5 ft 4 in (1. Sunil Manohar Gavaskar ( Marathi:सुनिल मनोहर गावसकर (born 10 July 1949 in Bombay, Maharashtra) nicknamed Sunny 6 m) and Aravinda De Silva 5 ft 2 in (1. Pinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva (born 17 October 1965 in Colombo) is a former Sri Lankan Cricketer who is considered one of the 6 m) are/were short. On the other hand, many successful fast bowlers are/were well over 6 ft (1. Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the Sport of Cricket. 8 m); for example past greats Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose were all 6'6"(198 cm) or taller. Joel Garner (born December 16, 1952 in Christ Church Barbados) also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird" is a former West Indian Courtney Andrew Walsh (born October 30, 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a former international Cricketer ( fast bowler Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose (born September 21, 1963) nicknamed the 'Little Bird' following on from Joel Garner who was nicknamed "Big Bird" Glenn McGrath is also 6'5½" (197 cm). In general, taller bowlers have a higher point of release in their bowling action, making it easier for them to make the ball rear-up from a length. Also, they can generate more pace with longer arms and the sling action associated with bowling. But, taller batsmen also have greater ease of hitting the ball compared to short-heighted. Some greats like Clive Lloyd are above 6 ft (1. Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE born 31 August 1944 in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana) is a former West Indies 8 m). England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen is 6 ft 4 in (1. Kevin Peter Pietersen MBE (born 27 June 1980 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa) is an English Cricketer He is an attacking 9 m) tall, while New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram measures 6 ft 7 in (2. 0 m).

Rowing

In rowing, being tall is a big advantage, because the taller you are the longer your stroke can potentially be, thus moving the boat more effectively. The average male Olympic rower is 6'3. 5", and the average female Olympic rower is 5'8",^[78] well over the average height.

Rugby Union

In rugby union, lineout jumpers, generally locks, are usually the tallest players on the pitch, as this increases their chance of winning clean ball, whereas scrum-halves are usually relatively short. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 As examples, current world-class locks Victor Matfield, Chris Jack, and Paul O'Connell are all at least 6'6"/1. Victor Matfield (born 11 May 1977 in Pietersburg (now Polokwane) South Africa is a South African Rugby union player for the Springbok rugby team as well Christopher Raymond Jack (born 5 September 1978 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand Rugby union footballer who plays as a for Paul O'Connell (born 20 October 1979 in Limerick) is an Irish Rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland 98 m, and Simon Shaw even gets up to roughly 6'9", while the sport's all-time leader in international appearances, scrum-half George Gregan, is 5'8"/1. Simon Dalton Shaw (born 1 September 1973 in Nairobi, Kenya) is a Rugby union player who plays at lock for Wasps George Musarurwa Gregan AM (born 19 April 1973 in Lusaka, Zambia) is an Australian Rugby union who has made more appearances for his national 73m. Currently the tallest professional players are Devin Toner and Andries Bekker, who are both 6'10". The tallest man ever to have played was 7'0" tall Richard Metcalfe. Richard Metcalfe (born 21 November 1973 in Leeds, England) is a former Scottish Rugby union footballer

Rugby League

Unlike rugby union, height was not seen as important in Rugby League, due to the absence of line-outs. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short However, recent tactics of cross-field kicking has resulted in the success of taller outside backs. Israel Folau (194cm) and Krisnan Inu (185cm) are examples of the trend in taller wingers and centres, and are both known for their remarkable jumping skills in defense or attack. ^[79][80]

American Football (Gridiron)

In American Football, a tall quarterback is at an advantage because it is easier for him to see over the heads of large offensive and defensive linemen while he is in the pocket in a passing situation. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. At 5'9", Doug Flutie was initially considered to be too short to become a NFL quarterback despite his Heisman Trophy winning success at the college level. Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is a retired American football and Canadian football Quarterback.

Tall wide receivers have an advantage of being able to outjump shorter defensive backs to catch highly thrown passes. A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football By contrast, shorter defensive backs are utilized because of their typically greater agility, as the ability to change directions instantly is a prerequisite for the position. Short running backs are at an advantage because their shorter stature and lower center of gravity generally makes them harder to tackle effectively. In addition, they can easily "hide" behind large offensive linemen, making it harder for defenders to react at the beginning of a play. Thus, in the NFL and in NCAA Division I football, running backs under 6 ft 0 in (1. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations 83 m) are more common than running backs over 6 ft 3 in (1. 91 m). Former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, thought by some to be the greatest running back in history, is a classic example of a running back with an extraordinarily low center of gravity, as he stood only 5 ft 7 1/2 in (1. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL Barry David Sanders (born) is a former American football Running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL 71 m). However, Jim Brown, another player often considered the greatest running back of all time, was more than 6 ft 2 in (1. James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made 88 m) tall, demonstrating benefits conferred by the greater power and leverage which height provides.

Kickers are generally short, they are shorter because this allows them to get under the ball easier. Punters are generally very tall because of longer legs achieving greater leg swing and this translates into more power on the ball.

Baseball

In baseball, pitchers tend to be taller than position players. Being taller means longer legs, which power pitches use to generate velocity and a release point closer to the plate, which means the ball reaches the batter more quickly. While taller position players have a larger strike zone, most position players are at least of average height because the larger frame allows them to generate more power. Most successful modern pitchers are safely over 6 feet/1. 83 m, some to extremes (e. g. , the 6'10"/2. 08 m Randy Johnson), with the 5'11"/1. For other people named Randy Johnson see Randy Johnson (disambiguation Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963 in 80 m Pedro Martínez a notable exception. Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25 1971 in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher for the

Ice Hockey

While the history of the NHL is filled with diminutive players who achieved greatness (Theo Fleury, Martin St. Louis,) the game's physical style has put a premium on imposing players, particular over 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds (Mario Lemieux, Chris Pronger). Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29 1968 in Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a retired international and professional Ice hockey Martin St-Louis (born June 18, 1975 in Laval, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional Ice hockey Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10 1974 is a Canadian professional Ice hockey defenceman with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Taller, bigger players have a longer reach, are able to give out and sustain punishing body checks, and are generally seen as indispensable for a team looking to go deep into the playoffs. Zdeno Chára, at 6 ft 9 in (2. Zdeno Chára ('zdeno 'xaːra born March 18, 1977) is a Slovak Ice hockey defenceman and team captain of Boston Bruins 06 m), is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL.

Wrestling

Height can be both helpful and detrimental in wrestling. Since taller people have more bone mass, they will generally be slightly weaker than shorter people in the same weight class. This difference is made up in part by their longer arms, which allow them a longer reach and make cradles easier. Also, taller peoples' legs are longer and harder to defend from shorter wrestlers.

Sumo

Professional sumo wrestlers are required to be at least 173 cm tall. Some aspiring sumo athletes have silicon implants added to the tops of their heads to reach the necessary height. ^[81] The average height for a sumo wrestler is 180 cm, far above the national average in Japan.

History of human height

Average Height of Troops Born in the Mid-Nineteenth Century, by Country or Place

Source

• Tallest in the World: Native Americans of the Great Plains in the Nineteenth Century
• European Heights in the Early 18th Century

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Europeans in North America were far taller than those in Europe and were the tallest in the world. ^[82] The original indigenous population of Plains Native Americans was also among the tallest populations of the world at the time. ^[83] Several nations, including many nations in Europe, have now surpassed the US, particularly the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian nations. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well

In the late nineteenth century, the Netherlands was a land renowned for its short population, but today it has the 2nd tallest average in the world, with young men averaging 185 cm (6'1 ft) tall and only shorter than the peoples of the Dinaric Alps (a section largely within the former Yugoslavia which encompasses: all of present-day Montenegro, a sovereign republic; Herzegovina, its entire region within another republic; hinterland and coastal Croatia, Serbia), where males average 185. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides ( Croatian and Bosnian: Dinarsko gorje or Dinaridi, Alpet Dinaride See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Herzegovina ( Bosnian, Croatian: Hercegovina, Serbian: Херцеговина) is a traditionally Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country 6 cm (6 ft 1. 1 in) tall. The Dinarians and Dutch are now well known in Europe for extreme tallness. In Africa, the Maasai, Dinka and Tutsi populations are known for their tallness. The Maasai are an indigenous African Ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Dinka are a group of tribes of south Sudan, inhabiting the swamplands of the Bahr el Ghazal region of The Tutsi are one of three native Peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa

Average male height in impoverished Vietnam and North Korea^[84] remains comparatively small at 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and 165 cm (5 ft 5 in), respectively. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Currently, young adult North Korean males are actually significantly shorter. This contrasts greatly with the extreme growth occurring in surrounding Asian populations with correlated increasing standards of living. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population Young South Koreans are about 12 cm (5. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː 5 inches) taller than their North Korean counterparts, on average. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, There is also an extreme difference between older North Koreans and young North Koreans who grew up during the famines of the 1990s-2000s; there is virtually no height difference among North Korean and South Korean adults older than 40, who came of age at a time when the North's economy was on a par with that of the South.

In the early 1970s, when anthropologist Barry Bogin first visited Guatemala, he observed that Mayan Indian men averaged only 157. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest The Maya peoples constitute a diverse range of the Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America. 5 cm (5 ft 2 in) in height and the women averaged 142. 2 cm (4 ft 8 in). Bogin took another series of measurements after the Guatemalan Civil War had erupted, during which up to a million Guatemalans had fled to the United States. The Guatemalan Civil War, the longest civil war in Latin American history ran from 1960 to 1996, and had a profound impact on Guatemala. He discovered that Mayan refugees, who ranged from six to twelve years old, were significantly taller than their Guatemalan counterparts. By 2000, the American Maya were 10. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. 24 cm (4 in) taller than the Guatemalan Maya of the same age, largely due to better nutrition and access to health care. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Bogin also noted that American Maya children had a significantly lower sitting height ratio, (i. e. relatively longer legs, averaging 7. 02 cm longer) than the Guatemalan Maya. ^[85][86]

Bibliography

• Fitting the Task to the Man, 1987 (for heights in USA and Japan)
• Eurostats Statistical Yearbook 2004 (for heights in Germany)
• Netherlands Central Bureau for Statistics, 1996 (for average heights)
• Mean Body Weight, Height, and body mass index, United States 1960 - 2002
• UK Department of Health - Health Survey for England
• Statistics Norway, Conscripts, by height, Per cent
• Statistics Sweden (in Swedish)
• Burkhard Bilger. "The Height Gap." The New Yorker
• A collection of data on human height, referred to here as "karube" but originally collected from other sources, was originally available here but is no longer. A copy is available here. (an English translation of this Japanese page would make it easier to evaluate the quality of the data. . . ).
• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/04news/americans.htm
• Aminorraya, A. et al. : Growth Charts of Heights and Weights of Male Children and Adolescents of Isfahan, Iran. Journal of Health and Population Nutrition, 21(4):2003, p. 341-346
• Blaha, P. et al. : 6. Celostatni antropologicky vyzkum deti a mladeze 2001, Ceska republika [6th Nationwide anthropological research of children and youth 2001, Czech republic], Charles University in Prague 2005
• Bogin, B. A. (1999) Patterns of human growth. 2nd ed Cambridge U Press
• Bogin, B. A. (2001) The growth of humanity Wiley-Liss
• Cavelaars, A. E. J. M. ,Kunst, A. E. ,Geurts, J. J. M. ,Crialesi, R. ,Grotvedt, L. ,Helmert U. Persistent variations in average height between countries and between socio-economic groups: an overview of 10 European countries. Annals of Human Biology. 27(4),407 - 421.
• Deurenberg P. , Kalpana Bhaskaran, Petrina Lim Kim Lian: Singaporean Chinese adolescents have more subcutaneous adipose tissue than Dutch Caucasians of the same age and body mass index. "Adipose" redirects here For the Doctor Who monster see " Partners in Crime " Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 12(3):2003, p. 261-265
• Eveleth, P. B. & Tanner, J. M. (1990) Worldwide variation in human growth, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.
• Lintsi, M. , Kaarma, H. : Growth of Estonian seventeen-year-old boys during the last two centuries. Economics and Human Biology 4 (2006) 89–103.
• Miura, K. Nakagawa, H. & Greenland, P. (2002) Invited commentary: height-cardiovascular disease relation: where to go from here? Am. J. Epidemiol. 155:688–689.
• Ruff, C. (2002) Variation in human body size and shape. Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 31:211-232.
• Average height of adolescents in the Dinaric Alps
• Average height of young Spaniards (in Spanish)
• Differences between height (stature) and recumbent length
• Mandel, MD, E. Zimlichman, MD, F. B. Mimouni, MD, FACN, FAAP, I. Grotto, MD, MPH, and Y. Kreiss, MD Height-Related Changes in Body Mass Index: A Reappraisal
• A. Case, PhD, C. Paxson, PhD, Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes
• Global Height Trends in Industrial and Developing Countries, 1810-1984: An Overview 2006 10 20

References

See also

• Heightism
• Anthropometry
• Height and intelligence
• Human weight
• Human variability
• Human biology
• List of tallest people
• List of shortest people

External links

• CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Growth Charts of American Percentiles
• Human Height Around the World
• www.fao.org: Body Weights and Heights by Countries (given in percentiles)
• Height to Weight Charts Height to weight charts according to small, medium and large frame for both men and women. The Seattle Times, one of two daily Newspapers serving Seattle Washington, United States, is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Heightism is a form of Discrimination based on height. In principle it can refer to unfavorable treatment of either unusually tall or short people Anthropometry ( Greek άνθρωπος man and μέτρον measure literally meaning "measurement of humans" in Physical anthropology, refers to the A positive Correlation exists between human IQ and height within national populations Human variability, or human variation, is the range of possible values for any measurable characteristic physical or mental of human beings Human biology is an Interdisciplinary Academic field of Biology, Biological anthropology, Nutrition and Medicine which This is a list of the tallest people, living and dead in the world List of shortest people This is a list of people who have been described or claimed as "shortest" in their lifetime or profession
• Standard to Metric Human Height Converter
• BMI Calculator Calculate a persons Body Mass Index
• The Height Gap, article discussing differences in height around the world