Were the Germans physically superior?

[Paullus Scipio]

Siggi,

I read Kikola Koepke's artice until I discovered this:

"The population of the Roman provinces consists of many different ethnic groups. Did different ethnicities have different genetic height potentials? Physicians, human biologists and anthropologists recently found that genetic factors only play an inferior role for the average height of a population. Environmental determinants are much more important."

In other words, it's what and how well you eat during early childhood that determines your height. Example-- noble Spaniards were taller than the lower class; and the American Plains Indians had the tallest height in the world. (Said mom, "Eat your buffalo meat, and then you can go out and play!") :roll:

If Ms. Koepke is correct, then we are running circles on this present thread. :wink:

aj

It is certainly true that throughout recorded history, heights ( and therefore proportionately, strengths) to an extent have fluctuated up and down, and among different populations - Europeans for example - early populations tended to be quite short ( e.g. archaic Greek males, c. 5'4"/1.6 m), with height increasing in Roman times, then declining again during mediaeval times, rising again in Renaissance/Age of Reason times, declining again with urban industrialisation, then climbing again in 20 th C. ( very broadly speaking, and subject very much to individual populations and their conditions). Clearly this up-and-down movement, and the fact that recorded history is too short a time for genetic effects to play much part tend to favour 'nutrition' as the key factor.)

Several studies point to 'dairy food/meat' as a key factor in better nutrition ( meat availability and the fact that dairy milk is fattier and more nutritious than human milk ), and hence increased height/strength. Clearly genetic factors play a part too, but overall, nutrition seems to be much more important.