Anthropologists show how migrant communities physically grow taller when they leave hardship behind

[wishstar]

1. As grandchild of immigrants and observing immigrant communities, I noticed the phenomenon

However another part of article is interesting too:

"Professor Bogin's study, carried out in collaboration with Dr Christiane Scheffler, at the University of Potsdam, and Professor Michael Hermanussen, from the University of Kiel, also explored a second phenomenon called competitive growth -- where the ruling social classes adjust their height to exceed the subordinate population.

Prof Bogin said: "This is when the mean height of colonial or military migrants, who become the socially dominant group in the conquered country, surpasses the average height of the both the conquered people and the origin population."

In one example, the researchers found that the height of Dutch colonial masters in Indonesia in the 19th and early 20th centuries was greater than the Indonesians they ruled, and also greater than social upper classes back in the Netherlands.

"This was also the case for English colonial masters in North America," said Prof Bogin."

I had not heard before about social dominance and not just better living conditions leading to increased stature.