The Shortest People in the World
Since ancient times, the pygmies have been known as the world's shortest people - even Herodotus and Aristotle mention the fact. In reality they are not as small as many people believe. In the smallest tribe, the average height of the men is 4'9"" and the women 4'6"". Some pygmy groups are as much as 4 inches taller. Today we can still meet people every bit as small as an African pygmy, but it is only on seeing several of them together that we realize they are unusual. They should not be mistaken for dwarves, who are short as a result of certain physical disorders. Some forms of hypopituitary dwarfism lead to even shorter statures.
We don't know if the pygmies have become smaller over time or if they have always been small. If, as is possible, they have always lived in the forest, there is no hope of finding their remains, because the soil is so acidic that even bone dissolves rapidly.
Early humans, dating from two or three million years ago, were very small. In the industrialized world, average heights have increased over the last two centuries, mainly as a result of improved diet. Medieval armor would be much too small for a person today. The first systematic data on stature date back to the early nineteenth century when Napoleon had his conscripts measured for height. Our great-great-greatgrandparents were much smaller than we are, our great- greatgrandparents a little less so, and so on. The biggest leap has been made in this century, first in northern Europe, then in the south. Have the pygmies become taller too, Some say yes, but we cannot be sure.