Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe

Biology

Pavlina Ingrova¹  Natasa M. Mihailovic²  Ivan Davidovic³  Dusko Bjelica⁴  Bojan Masanovic⁴  Jovan Gardasevic⁴  Predrag Potpara⁴  Stevo Popovic⁴  Fitim Arifi⁵  Gregor Starc⁶  Dominik Bokuvka⁷  Jan Cacek⁷  Eduard Hrazdira⁷  Sylva Hrebíckova⁷  Nikola Stracarova⁷  Pavel Grasgruber⁷  Stipan Prce⁸ 

[1] Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic;Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia;Ekonomska ŠKola, Secondary School of Economics and Catering, 85000 Bar, Montenegro;Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, 81400 Niksic, Montenegro;Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, University of Tetovo, 1200 Tetovo, North Macedonia;Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic;Gimnazija Metković, 20350 Metkovic, Croatia;

关键词: Dinaric Alps;    Europe;    height;    genetics;    Y haplogroups;    GWAS;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biology11050786

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The inhabitants of the Dinaric Alps (former Yugoslavia and Albania) have long been known as people of impressive body height, but after World War II, there was a critical lack of data related to this phenomenon. This anthropological synthesis includes the measurements of 47,158 individuals (24,642 males and 22,516 females) from the period 2010–2018 and maps detail regional differences in male stature in the Western Balkans. According to these data, young men from Montenegro (182.9 cm) are currently the tallest 18-year-olds in the world, surpassing their Dutch peers (182.4 cm), and 18-year-old boys from Dalmatia are even taller (183.7 cm).at a regional level. A continuous belt of extraordinary height means (>184 cm) stretches from the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia through Herzegovina to the central part of Montenegro. This article summarizes all the key socio-economic, nutritional, and genetic data, and offers possible explanations for this anthropological phenomenon. Since the remarkable height of the Dinaric populations cannot be connected with any commonly known environmental factor, the most probable hypothesis is genetic and links these physical characteristics with the local founder effect of Y haplogroup I-M170. Furthermore, given that both the level of socio-economic development and dietary protein quality are still sub-optimal, the local upward trend in body height has the potential to continue in the future.

【 授权许可】

Unknown