If you've ever wondered why the rest of your family towers over you in height - it may be down to a rare genetic misfortune which has left you with a miserable batch of 'short genes'. Scientists at the the University of Exeter conducted a study to find out what factors determine a person's height. They discovered that one fifth of the genetic factors that cause height to vary between siblings is that the smaller brothers and sisters have 'simply inherited a big batch of short genes.' Scroll down for video . Scientific research has found that one fifth of the genetic factors that cause height to vary between siblings is down to 'short genes' (above, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito star in 1988 film Twins) The study also found while it was commonly thought we are taller than our ancestors thanks to better diets, this factor is only responsible for a fifth of the growth spurt. Four fifths is down to genetics passed on from one generation to the next. The study is the largest of its kind in history and also revealed that more than half of the factors involved in determining height are explained by the simple common genetic variation - the differences between and among different populations. By examining the DNA from more than 250,000 Europeans, researchers from the international GIANT consortium checked more than two million common genetic factors - those shared by at least five per cent of participants. From this they found 697 genetic variants in 424 regions of the genome, the genetic material of an organism, that are related to height. Before 2007 virtually nothing was known in this area of research. Professor Tim Frayling of Exeter's Medical School said: 'It's common knowledge that people born to tall parents are more likely to be tall themselves. 'Short genes': At 5ft 8in, actor Casey Affleck (right) is half a foot shorter than his movie star brother Ben, who stands at around 6ft 3in . 'Most of this is down to the variations in our DNA sequence that we inherit from our parents - the different versions of all our genes. 'In 2007 we published the first paper that identified the first common height gene, and since then the research has come on leaps and bounds. 'We have now identified nearly 700 genetic variants that are involved in determining height. 'This goes a long way towards fulfilling a scientific curiosity that could have real impact in the treatment of diseases that can be influenced by height, such as osteoporosis, cancer or heart disease. 'It also a step forward towards a test that may reassure parents worried that their child is not growing as well as they'd hoped - most of these children have probably simply inherited a big batch of 'short genes'.' Dr Andrew Wood added: 'Our findings have helped to identify a large proportion of the genetic architecture that contributes to determining our height. The study, led by the University of Exeter, also found that while it was commonly thought we are taller than our ancestors thanks to better diets, this factor is only responsible for a fifth of the growth spurt . 'We know that as a population we have become taller over the last few generations, because of factors including improved nutrition. But more than 80 per cent of the factors in height variation are known to be down to genetics, with the rest caused by environmental factors. 'Thanks to advances in technology, we now have access to far greater quantities of DNA data. 'These data sets are proving to be a genetic treasure trove which has enabled us to shed light on height, and we expect to continue to make significant advances, both in this field and in other human traits.' 'Our results suggest that massive human genetic studies, possibly into the millions, will continue to uncover all the subtle effects of our genetic variation that influence our health, behaviour, body shape and all aspects of what makes us who we are.'
University of Exeter conduct largest study on height variation in history .
Found there is one-in-five genetic chance someone will inherit 'short genes'
Explains why some people are much smaller than their parents and siblings .
Also say better nutrition has only played small part in humans getting taller .
If you've ever wondered why the rest of your family towers over you in height - it may be down to a rare genetic misfortune which has left you with a miserable batch of 'short genes'. Scientists at the the University of Exeter conducted a study to find out what factors determine a person's height. They discovered that one fifth of the genetic factors that cause height to vary between siblings is that the smaller brothers and sisters have 'simply inherited a big batch of short genes.' Scroll down for video . Scientific research has found that one fifth of the genetic factors that cause height to vary between siblings is down to 'short genes' (above, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito star in 1988 film Twins) The study also found while it was commonly thought we are taller than our ancestors thanks to better diets, this factor is only responsible for a fifth of the growth spurt. Four fifths is down to genetics passed on from one generation to the next. The study is the largest of its kind in history and also revealed that more than half of the factors involved in determining height are explained by the simple common genetic variation - the differences between and among different populations. By examining the DNA from more than 250,000 Europeans, researchers from the international GIANT consortium checked more than two million common genetic factors - those shared by at least five per cent of participants. From this they found 697 genetic variants in 424 regions of the genome, the genetic material of an organism, that are related to height. Before 2007 virtually nothing was known in this area of research. Professor Tim Frayling of Exeter's Medical School said: 'It's common knowledge that people born to tall parents are more likely to be tall themselves. 'Short genes': At 5ft 8in, actor Casey Affleck (right) is half a foot shorter than his movie star brother Ben, who stands at around 6ft 3in . 'Most of this is down to the variations in our DNA sequence that we inherit from our parents - the different versions of all our genes. 'In 2007 we published the first paper that identified the first common height gene, and since then the research has come on leaps and bounds. 'We have now identified nearly 700 genetic variants that are involved in determining height. 'This goes a long way towards fulfilling a scientific curiosity that could have real impact in the treatment of diseases that can be influenced by height, such as osteoporosis, cancer or heart disease. 'It also a step forward towards a test that may reassure parents worried that their child is not growing as well as they'd hoped - most of these children have probably simply inherited a big batch of 'short genes'.' Dr Andrew Wood added: 'Our findings have helped to identify a large proportion of the genetic architecture that contributes to determining our height. The study, led by the University of Exeter, also found that while it was commonly thought we are taller than our ancestors thanks to better diets, this factor is only responsible for a fifth of the growth spurt . 'We know that as a population we have become taller over the last few generations, because of factors including improved nutrition. But more than 80 per cent of the factors in height variation are known to be down to genetics, with the rest caused by environmental factors. 'Thanks to advances in technology, we now have access to far greater quantities of DNA data. 'These data sets are proving to be a genetic treasure trove which has enabled us to shed light on height, and we expect to continue to make significant advances, both in this field and in other human traits.' 'Our results suggest that massive human genetic studies, possibly into the millions, will continue to uncover all the subtle effects of our genetic variation that influence our health, behaviour, body shape and all aspects of what makes us who we are.'
with a miserable batch of 'short genes'. Scientists at the the University of Exeter study is the largest of its kind in history people born to tall parents are more likely to be to better diets, this factor is only responsible including improved nutrition. But more than 80 per cent of the factors in height variation are has enabled us to shed light on height, and we