Why are we 1-2.5m tall?

swe_fi

Fairly straightforward question...Why is the human race, adult specimen roughly (min) 1m - 2.5m tall (max)? I know there are other extremes but in general.

Why are we not like 2 cm short or like 42m tall?

I have been thinking about this a lot, with all the bull about global warming, oil running out bla bla...If we were like megashort, it would have last much longer, because everything would be much smaller (airplanes, cars, clothes, medicine, well anything), relative to the earth of course.

My guess would be it is linked to gravitational pull, or the strength of the centrifugal/petal force or whatever it is called, or is there any other reason?

Could it be the case that there is actually very very small people in a city/town somewhere and they don't know we are here? If there were mega big ones we would have seen them of course.

Agent Smith

swe_fi wrote: »

Fairly straightforward question...Why is the human race, adult specimen roughly (min) 1m - 2.5m tall (max)? I know there are other extremes but in general.

Why are we not like 2 cm short or like 42m tall?

I have been thinking about this a lot, with all the bull about global warming, oil running out bla bla...If we were like megashort, it would have last much longer, because everything would be much smaller (airplanes, cars, clothes, medicine, well anything), relative to the earth of course.

My guess would be it is linked to gravitational pull, or the strength of the centrifugal/petal force or whatever it is called, or is there any other reason?

Could it be the case that there is actually very very small people in a city/town somewhere and they don't know we are here? If there were mega big ones we would have seen them of course.

Gravity tbh

Nemanja91

gravity

we'llallhavetea_old

pass that joint over here

FearDark

Wow, what a Karl Pilkington kind of question!

m@cc@

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species

Hank_Jones

Evolution vs God thread or what?

m@cc@

FearDark wrote: »

Wow, what a Karl Pilkington kind of question!

It were rubbish, wern it?

BrianSlipknot

Somebody give this guy an award!

Hilarious question, to which i cant answer!

Evolution probably?!

Doc

swe_fi wrote: »

Fairly straightforward question...Why is the human race, adult specimen roughly (min) 1m - 2.5m tall (max)? I know there are other extremes but in general.

Why are we not like 2 cm short or like 42m tall?

I have been thinking about this a lot, with all the bull about global warming, oil running out bla bla...If we were like megashort, it would have last much longer, because everything would be much smaller (airplanes, cars, clothes, medicine, well anything), relative to the earth of course.

My guess would be it is linked to gravitational pull, or the strength of the centrifugal/petal force or whatever it is called, or is there any other reason?

Could it be the case that there is actually very very small people in a city/town somewhere and they don't know we are here? If there were mega big ones we would have seen them of course.

Predators would have found it easier to kill us if we were smaller and we would have found it more difficult to hunt other animals.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Because thats long enough for your legs to reach the ground ya eejit

El_Dangeroso

Quoth the zombie.. 'BRAAAAINS'

As in we need to be this size in order to accommodate our sizeable grey matter.

Insects can never be as clever as us with their tiny brains despite what horror movies might let you think.

Also, what are you smoking? I want some.

The_Minister

If we were short (really short), we wouldn't have as large brains as we do, and so would not be the dominant intelligence on this planet.

Even if we could think at our current level, our ability to manipulate our environment would be seriously reduced, and we would quickly fall down the foodchain (We can literally level mountains at the moment), or be struck down by negative environmental factors.

Technologically we would be screwed - can you imagine trying to smelt iron when you are only a few inches high?

epgc3fyqirnbsx

The_Minister wrote: »

If we were short (really short), we wouldn't have as large brains as we do, and so would not be the dominant intelligence on this planet.

Even if we could think at our current level, our ability to manipulate our environment would be seriously reduced, and we would quickly fall down the foodchain (We can literally level mountains at the moment), or be struck down by negative environmental factors.

Technologically we would be screwed - can you imagine trying to smelt iron when you are only a few inches high?

Thats why the hobbits had to rely on the elves

The_Minister

As to why we aren't really big - we don't really need to be.

Our species can, using intellect, take on species many times more physically equipped for killing than we are. We wiped out ten foot tall sloths for instance.
Therefore, we don't need size for fighting, but the larger you are, the more energy you use to keep your body going, the larger chance that you might starve if conditions change.

Also, in cold climates, bigger is much better in terms of survival due to surface area/heat loss etc. But we evolved in Africa, from primates, which lived in trees, and so size could be a disadvantage (but not always)

Finally, we are bipedal. Therefore there is a limited size our body shape can support without collapsing.

Thats all off the top of my head.

bleg

I'm 10 inches

Capt'n Midnight

we are long distance hunters from the plains of Africa

standing tall we can see further, and long legs allow us to chase down gazelles and stuff

swe_fi

The brain thing is interesting, that we would not be as smart and not have evolved as much , but in terms of falling down the food chain, I don't think we would have because the animals would probably be relative in size to us or even if they were not they would find it harder to find us. Maybe our small brains would have prevented us from making spears, bows and other stuff . If they were big, they would probably crush us & our huts by mistake quite often though.

starbelgrade

bleg wrote: »

I'm 10 inches

Quit your boasting, boyo.

The_Minister

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

we are long distance hunters from the plains of Africa

standing tall we can see further, and long legs allow us to chase down gazelles and stuff

D'oh!

Forgot the main reason.

starbelgrade

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

we are long distance hunters from the plains of Africa

Try explaining that one to a Dublin taxi driver.

"Ye Bleeeedin' whaaa?"

opinion guy

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Quoth the zombie.. 'BRAAAAINS'

As in we need to be this size in order to accommodate our sizeable grey matter.

Insects can never be as clever as us with their tiny brains despite what horror movies might let you think.

Also, what are you smoking? I want some.

The_Minister wrote: »

If we were short (really short), we wouldn't have as large brains as we do, and so would not be the dominant intelligence on this planet.

Even if we could think at our current level, our ability to manipulate our environment would be seriously reduced, and we would quickly fall down the foodchain (We can literally level mountains at the moment), or be struck down by negative environmental factors.

Technologically we would be screwed - can you imagine trying to smelt iron when you are only a few inches high?

Brains huh ? What about them hobbit people they discovered in the phillipines. They had small brains and were smart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis#Small_brains

The_Minister wrote: »

We wiped out ten foot tall sloths for instance.

How hard can be it to kill a creature that barely moves ?


Anyhow our height is still changing. The "western diet" is associated with increased stature so people from traditiionally short countries like Japan are gettign taller the more western food they eat. Supposebly. Dutch are the tallest. which is weird cause they have no mountains to climb :P

Dave!

That's just how we evolved

Why are ants so small? Why are elephants so big?

There's evolutionary reasons for them I'm sure, but ultimately the answer is: because that's the way we evolved, and evolution doesn't make conscious choices

shuvly

bleg wrote: »

I'm 10 inches

...tall...go you!

AlmightyCushion

Doc wrote: »

Predators would have found it easier to kill us if we were smaller and we would have found it more difficult to hunt other animals.

And they're all ready pretty damn good at it as it is.

http://dietrichthrall.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/predator.jpg

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Aren't there forst people in New Guinea (feel very free to correct me) who are pretty tiny because it's easier for forest life.
Equally, you see the Masai in Africa who are plain hunters who are very tall perhaps for the reason of viewing prey as has been said

But then you have the ridicolously well built Maoris and Samoans and I dont know why that is
Even in Ireland, you can view some of the very old buildings that have tiny doors which I was told by teachers and tour guides was for the reson that they weren't as well fed and strong as us, and so hadn't the opportunity to grow tall (though I would have thought it was for heat retention)
I know nothing really, perhaps we have a graduate with some spare time (lol) who could shed some light?

starbelgrade

Ace Zealous Sludge wrote: »

Aren't there forst people in New Guinea (feel very free to correct me) who are pretty tiny because it's easier for forest life.

I know nothing really, perhaps we have a graduate with some spare time (lol) who could shed some light?

I can - I spent many years living in New Guinea, getting to know the Fugawe tribe. They spent a lot of their time, wandering through the long grassed plains, hopping up in the air, shouting "Fugawe", as they travelled, seemingly randomly, throughout the land.

One day, I asked their chief, why they shouted "Fugawe" as they jumped up & down through the long grasses, to which he replied, "It's short for 'Where the f*ck are we?' ".

epgc3fyqirnbsx

starbelgrade wrote: »

I can - I spent many years living in New Guinea, getting to know the Fugawe tribe. They spent a lot of their time, wandering through the long grassed plains, hopping up in the air, shouting "Fugawe", as they travelled, seemingly randomly, throughout the land.

One day, I asked their chief, why they shouted "Fugawe" as they jumped up & down through the long grasses, to which he replied, "It's short for 'Where the f*ck are we?' ".

are you for real?
Is this like the origins of the word kangaroo?
Where an explorer of Australia asked his Aboriginal guide what that animal was, and the answer he got was 'kangaroo' which he then documented, and subsequently turned out to mean 'I dont know...' . But think thats a legend

CathalDublin

Cause if we were any bigger than 2.5m we'd need bigger ceilings!

Zillah

It's pretty complicated. Larger bodies require more energy, are more cumbersome, harder to hide and sneak, longer time spent in the womb, slower to mature, more prone to anatomical problems etc. Being smaller also has problems, less heat conservation, less body strength and lower top speed makes for worse combat as a or against a predator etc.

It's basically a constant balancing game between all of these factors, and so far they have balanced out this way.

starbelgrade

Ace Zealous Sludge wrote: »

are you for real?

Yes, I was a tribes documentarist, just before I took up animal portrait photography, as displayed in the Killer Pussy thread..

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=65601571#post65601571

x PyRo

starbelgrade wrote: »

I can - I spent many years living in New Guinea, getting to know the Fugawe tribe. They spent a lot of their time, wandering through the long grassed plains, hopping up in the air, shouting "Fugawe", as they travelled, seemingly randomly, throughout the land.

One day, I asked their chief, why they shouted "Fugawe" as they jumped up & down through the long grasses, to which he replied, "It's short for 'Where the f*ck are we?' ".

I'm literally "laughing out loud" here.

Classic.

Capt'n Midnight

starbelgrade wrote: »

I can - I spent many years living in New Guinea, getting to know the Fugawe tribe. They spent a lot of their time, wandering through the long grassed plains, hopping up in the air, shouting "Fugawe", as they travelled, seemingly randomly, throughout the land.

One day, I asked their chief, why they shouted "Fugawe" as they jumped up & down through the long grasses, to which he replied, "It's short for 'Where the f*ck are we?' ".

call me old fashioned but I prefer the version where you make first contact with the tribe after a shaggy dog story and as you enter a clearing the first thing they say is "we're the Fugawe"

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Why do birds fly, why do frogs swim???

Capt'n Midnight

Ace Zealous Sludge wrote: »

Even in Ireland, you can view some of the very old buildings that have tiny doors which I was told by teachers and tour guides was for the reson that they weren't as well fed and strong as us, and so hadn't the opportunity to grow tall

Partially true

there was also an element of forcing an attacker to stoop as they entered a door so you would have the drop on them

but nutrition played a big part too , Japan being a place where stature has changed in living memory

CreepingDeath

There's another big element that nobody has mentioned in this thread, just as important as evolution... sexual selection.

Monkeys/Humans are social animals with a hierarchy.
The taller you are, the more dominant you are generally perceived to be.
So the bigger/taller males were alpha males, and the females would choose them over the shorter ones of lesser status.

So women have made us taller through selective breeding.

ScumLord

Mouse sized is about as small as mammals get anyway.

Caoimhín

Because the lord Jesus Allah (PBAH) made us in his image and he is exactly 1.3m tall.

Capt'n Midnight

Ace Zealous Sludge wrote: »

Where an explorer of Australia asked his Aboriginal guide what that animal was, and the answer he got was 'kangaroo' which he then documented, and subsequently turned out to mean 'I dont know...' . But think thats a legend

was that a Peter Ustinov story ?

Idaho is supposed to mean the same

eightyfish

swe_fi wrote: »

Fairly straightforward question...Why is the human race, adult specimen roughly (min) 1m - 2.5m tall (max)?

'Cos that's the niche we found ourselves in. Read a book about evolution, if you're at all interested you'd find it fascinating.

As for elephants etc, you might also be interested in insular dwarfism.

AnonoBoy

Yeah and f*cking magnets, how do they work?

eightyfish

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Yeah and f*cking magnets, how do they work?

Magic.

Capt'n Midnight

Micheal Careful Zeppelin wrote: »

Why do birds fly, why do frogs swim???

In a recession you take any job you get.


Eagles can fly and fish, but neither a fish or a fly can eagle :eek:

Zillah

ScumLord wrote: »

Mouse sized is about as small as mammals get anyway.

Nope: http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070115/070115_endangered_vmed10a.widec.jpg

A mouse is to a bumble bee bat as a hippo is to people.

swe_fi

swe_fi wrote: »

If there were mega big ones we would have seen them of course.

Awesome closing statement

swe_fi

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

pass that joint over here

Sorry to disappoint you Mrs Tea but I don't actually smoke anything but Marlboro Lights these days.

we'llallhavetea_old

swe_fi wrote: »

Sorry to disappoint you Mr Tea but I don't actually smoke anything but Marlboro Lights these days.

it's mrs tea i'll have you know

ScumLord

Zillah wrote: »

Nope: http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070115/070115_endangered_vmed10a.widec.jpg

A mouse is to a bumble bee bat as a hippo is to people.

That is tiny, Last I heard it was some shrew that was smallest and mammals couldn't get any smaller because they wouldn't be able to retain enough heat.

DrumSteve

we're relatively tall and we're relatively small. does it matter what numbers are attached to our height?

CrazyRabbit

Micheal Careful Zeppelin wrote: »

Why do birds fly, why do frogs swim???

Birds flying : Because if they walked all the cats would eat them for dinner.

Frogs swimming : Because they live in and around water and drowning would be pretty bad for them.

Human's average height : So we can just about reach the items on the top shelves in supermarkets.

Michaelrsh

So that we can fit under doors, duh!