SCIENCE DAILY
Bedzan Pygmies in Cameroon. SOURCE/University of Pennsylvania
If Pygmies are known for one trait, it is their short stature: Pygmy men stand just 4’11” on average. But the reason why these groups are so short and neighboring groups are not remains unclear. Scientists have proposed various theories based on natural selection, including that Pygmies’ reduced size lowered nutritional requirements, helped them better handle hot climates, or allowed them to reach sexual maturity at an earlier age.
Now a new study of the Western African Pygmies in Cameroon, led by geneticists from the University of Pennsylvania, identifies genes that may be responsible for the Pygmies’ relatively small size.
The work also provides evidence based on genetic signatures of natural selection to suggest why these groups evolved to be small, with signs pointing to hormonal pathways and immune system regulation as possible drivers.
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