What is the evolutionary benefit of short height?

[ElloinmorninJ]

If you look at populations, you can some are tall (Netherlands, Germanics) while others are short (South Americans, South East Asians)- but here’s what’s never made sense to me: why would a group of people evolve for short height instead of tall.

Being tall is obviously superior in every way, and gives a survival advantage. If you look at the problems taller people complain about today (lack of room, hitting their heads, can’t find clothes) you’d find that these are all only caused by living in a society, and in a naturalistic environment they’d have zero disadvantages.

So, how come the ancestors of all the modern 6’+ dudes didn’t completely outbreed the ancestors of the <5’6 dudes?

 

[444]

Being tall is obviously superior in every way, and gives a survival advantage

Proof?

 

[Unhuman]

Being short is beneficial in resource scarce environments and makes you live longer.

 

[ElloinmorninJ]

Proof?

More frame to store muscle, run faster, throw farther

 

[spectacularpixlr]

More frame to store muscle, run faster, throw farther

ted talks seem to be your thing

 

[Deleted member 22354]

More frame to store muscle, run faster, throw farther

Mogged

 

[TsarTsar444]

More frame to store muscle, run faster, throw farther

Also longer wingspan

 

[ShineBright]

God after designing manlets to suffer for 10 additional years:

 

[Mill]

The main adaptation is said to be faster heat dissipation. This is why the further away from the equator you go, the taller the people get on average, since taller people retain heat for longer which is well suited for cold environments.

 

[6ft4]

Try prevent a Mexican woman from getting impregnated by a 5'5 obese subhuman, spoiler: you can't, that explains why some populations are smaller, their women are willing to get impregnated by subhumans
Meanwhile I rot as an incel

 

[Deleted member 23260]

If you look at populations, you can some are tall (Netherlands, Germanics) while others are short (South Americans, South East Asians)- but here’s what’s never made sense to me: why would a group of people evolve for short height instead of tall.

Being tall is obviously superior in every way, and gives a survival advantage. If you look at the problems taller people complain about today (lack of room, hitting their heads, can’t find clothes) you’d find that these are all only caused by living in a society, and in a naturalistic environment they’d have zero disadvantages.

So, how come the ancestors of all the modern 6’+ dudes didn’t completely outbreed the ancestors of the <5’6 dudes?

you make for a good snack when the alpha lions are feeling peckish

 

[Deleted member 23778]

Not everything is an advantage just because ot exists. If advantages exist obviously disadvantages must as well otherwise you'd have nothing to compare them to.

The advantage is short people use less energy and require less sustenance. You can survive on much less if you weigh 130 lbs and are 5'3 than if you're 6'4 250.

 

[BananaBoy]

Not everything has to be beneficial

 

[BananaBoy]

So, how come the ancestors of all the modern 6’+ dudes didn’t completely outbreed the ancestors of the <5’6 dudes?

Genetic recombination. Plus tall height is relative to time/place - 5'7 would be considered tall in medieval Europe.

 

[Lawton88]

Neanderthals were shorter yet they could tear humans apart with their bare hands. We ran them extinct with our bodies being better adapted for chucking spears etc.

 

[Huss7x]

If you look at populations, you can some are tall (Netherlands, Germanics) while others are short (South Americans, South East Asians)- but here’s what’s never made sense to me: why would a group of people evolve for short height instead of tall.

Being tall is obviously superior in every way, and gives a survival advantage. If you look at the problems taller people complain about today (lack of room, hitting their heads, can’t find clothes) you’d find that these are all only caused by living in a society, and in a naturalistic environment they’d have zero disadvantages.

So, how come the ancestors of all the modern 6’+ dudes didn’t completely outbreed the ancestors of the <5’6 dudes?

On the contrary, short stature is more evolutionarily beneficial because being tall means consuming more resources, more food, larger spaces, and a shorter life span, unlike short stature.

 

[MulattoTrenMaxxer]

Shorter men were smaller targets for arrows and spears, thus they lived and spread their seed. Also short women who give birth to small boys

 

[Deleted member 16220]

I am half German half south east Asian and I am 6'4.

The benefit of smaller size is less chance of starving to death from lack of food.

Even if 11 foot tall genetic mutant might have been born in the past, the 7,000+ calories a day required just to maintain his body would have had him starve to death.

 

[Bitchwhipper2]

More frame to store muscle, run faster, throw farther

Low iq.

Height makes your body require more resources to keep up with its higher demands.

If those resources arent avalible being tall isnt a favorable trait for that environment.

In evolution everything has its tradeoffs

 

[szolliontaraelis]

Easier to lick Tyrone's jizz out of your wife's cumbox.

 

[NECK&VOICE]

Better size for acrobatics and maxxing out at circus and better size for avoiding getting hit by bullets during Lugansk incursion.

 

[Deleted member 1901]

Shorter limbs help to conserve heat, requires less energy to be shorter, easier to move through dense forests, can make females more attractive and then smaller males are a by-product.