Figure 1 – Transition of average stature and life expectancy

Since the beginning of human existence people have

struggled to be free of hunger, undergoing periods of

plenty and times of food scarcity, of growth and

decline. From the Late Palaeolithic period – 30,000 to

9000 BC – hunters and gatherers persevered to

manage the rich biodiversity of their environment,

achieving an average height that is still not equalled

today.