How switch from hunter-gathering made our farmer ancestors shorter

Change in lifestyle reduced height by an average of 1.5 inches, reports Emily Atkinson

Drawing of a scientist working with human skeletal remains and ancient DNA (Marija Stojkovic. / Penn State. Creative Commons)

Our ancestors got shorter when they transitioned from hunter-gathering to farming 12,000 years ago, according to a new study.

A team of researchers took measurements from the sketetal remains and analysed the DNA of 16 ancient individuals.

The bones, dating back to either before, after or during the emergence of farming in Europe, showed that the change in lifestyle caused their height to decrease by an average of 1.5 inches.