"Genetic evidence confirms what skeletons have long shown - Europe's first farmers (Iberia_N, Britain_N, France_N) were markedly shorter than the hunter-gatherers they replaced. "
Skeletons do not show this. While the Upper paleolithic Europeans were tall, the mesolithic Europeans (WHG) that Anatolian Neolithic farmers assimilated/replaced to form EEFs were quite short, and basically as short or slightly ,shorter than the neolithic farmers. The WHG admixed farmers such as the FBC and GAC also were not taller than the pure EEF populations. Eastern Eurodpean HGs retained a stature close to the upper paleolithic but these were not replaced by Anatolian neolithic farmers.
Sure, I just wonder why the same sexual selection pressure didn't exist in most other parts of the world. My guess is that there are evolutionary trade offs to increased height that didn't seem to be as punishing for ancient Northern Europeans (who are tall even relative to non-Europeans at the same latitude elsewhere) I wonder why that is.
Just a correction:
"Genetic evidence confirms what skeletons have long shown - Europe's first farmers (Iberia_N, Britain_N, France_N) were markedly shorter than the hunter-gatherers they replaced. "
Skeletons do not show this. While the Upper paleolithic Europeans were tall, the mesolithic Europeans (WHG) that Anatolian Neolithic farmers assimilated/replaced to form EEFs were quite short, and basically as short or slightly ,shorter than the neolithic farmers. The WHG admixed farmers such as the FBC and GAC also were not taller than the pure EEF populations. Eastern Eurodpean HGs retained a stature close to the upper paleolithic but these were not replaced by Anatolian neolithic farmers.
Any speculation on what drove the selection pressure for greater height and why this pressure is so uncommon globally?
Sexual selection? Also climate selection,as implied by the strong effect of latitude on height PGS
Sure, I just wonder why the same sexual selection pressure didn't exist in most other parts of the world. My guess is that there are evolutionary trade offs to increased height that didn't seem to be as punishing for ancient Northern Europeans (who are tall even relative to non-Europeans at the same latitude elsewhere) I wonder why that is.
Cool read.