Hi there, I come from a family that is very tall!
My family are a mix. My Dad and brother are 6'4" and my Mom is 5'2"!
That's neat, when populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is often used as a characteristic within the group.
Are taller people more prevalent than little people? Or is there an even spread?
I would suspect taller people are more rare. Mainly because in regions of poverty, environmental factors during childhood/adolescence may result in delayed growth or reductions in adult stature.
That's a very good point. I did read somewhere that a better diet has resulted in our being bigger - and I don't just mean round the waist! Do you think that's the case?
I would believe that's true, despite genetics playing a very large role in height, there are developmental factors growing up that can influence height.
I guess there must be so many variables. What else affects height? Any ideas?
Not sure, but there are some speculations about the correlation of height/intelligence. One possible explanation is that height may act as a biomarker for nutritional status and health during intellectual development.