Long-term trends in human body size track regional variation in subsistence transitions and growth acceleration linked to dairying

Abstract

The transition from foraging to herding and farming influenced human health, but the impact of regional differences in trajectories of cultural change on human biology are poorly resolved. We investigate long-term trends in human stature and body mass of 3,507 skeletons from 366 archaeological sites in seven regions with varying trajectories of Holocene subsistence change. We observe declines in body size that preceded the transition to agriculture, and significant regional variation following the transition. Holocene statures and body mass remained relatively stable in primary regions of domestication; however, in areas such as Central and Northern Europe where non-native crops were difficult to establish, increases in stature and body mass coincide with the timing of selective sweeps for lactase persistence. Keywords: bioarchaeology, agriculture, health, domestication, human adaptation