Observations on the history of Dutch physical stature from the late-Middle Ages to the present.
In the late-Middle Ages and at the onset of the early modern period, the Dutch population was taller than in the first half of the 19th century. This inference is partially based on skeletal evidence, mainly collected by the Dutch physical anthropologist George Maat and his co-workers. A spectacular increase in Dutch heights began in the second half of the 19th century and accelerated in the second half of the 20th century. At the end of the 20th century, the Dutch became tallest in the world.
de Beer
Hans
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Paediatrics Quality Bureau, Paediatric Association of The Netherlands, PO Box 20059, 3502 LB Utrecht, The Netherlands. jjadebeer@wanadoo.nl
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000266:history*; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands