Comments on: Did Farmers Scatter Pygmy Populations Across Africa?

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:31:03 +0000

Mako is right, it’s a matter of physics, mammals in general are larger in colder climates and small bodies would have definite advantage in dense jungle, where speed and agility is needed, I suppose a pygmy woman would weep for her tall lummox of a son.

By: Mako says

Mako says — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:39:11 +0000

My understanding is that height is not a cold adapatation. rather it is increased mass to skin ratio that keeps people warm. Eskimos/Inuits are short and stocky, ie a large amount of mass in relation to the amount of skin. Heat is lost through skin.
Tallness is often a heat adapatation. Tall lean people have a high ratio of skin to body mass. Thus they lose heat very effectively.

By: Jay Neall

Jay Neall — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:53:44 +0000

Just as increasing height is an adaption to cold weather, reducing height is a way of keeping cool. Not surprising to find people of small stature in hot environments. For the Pacific the authority is an academic, now retired, called Philip Houghton on the adaption of Pacific people to the cold in a maritime environment even if in the tropics. Height increases in an easterly direction across the Pacific. The other hot climate people who are small in stature that spring to mind are the Khoisan or Bushmen of southern Africa.

In case you say, what about the Eskimos…this seems like a contradiction. Ancient Eskimo’s were so successful at keeping warm they have problems cooling off. The clothing they use (natural fur) and their houses/igloos resulted in overheating. Early anthropologists reported that their habitations were apparently so hot inside due to the good insulsating properties of ice that the sweat ran copiously off the occupants. The children were employed in ensuring that all visitors had plenty of water to drink.

The people of the Pacific also show mixed DNA with female DNA (Mitochondrial DNA) different from male DNA. Enslavement and rape have to also be thrown into the mix. Mate choice may not be a choice at all.

By: Paul Verdu

Paul Verdu — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:27:01 +0000

To Charles:
Do you know that the music record sent together with Voyager actually contained some sample of Aka pygmy music from Central Africa (recordings by Simha Arom), for outerspace intelligence to listen to ?
However, I have no idea whether it was for their short stature…

By: Paul Verdu

Paul Verdu — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:23:14 +0000

The author of the Current Biology genetic paper to deedee

I fully agree with you on the comment on our relation to Others.
Otherwise, if you are willing to bet, I can tell you you’ll loose.
First, we don’t really know what are mate choices criteria among pygmies and non-pygmies: I never met a single non-pygmy in Central Africa, that refered to the pygmies as being short in stature, nor a single Pygmy referring to himself as being of different morphology than neighbours. Non-pygmies have many attributes (more or less stereotypes), but never invoke short stature for pygmies. Pygmy stature is actually a western culture problematic…
Second, could you explain to me what makes you think that women would despise small males for being unattractive and men would not do the same for small women ?
Even if such asymetry was true and so common as you are suggesting, I am just wondering how come some non-pygmy populations in Central Africa are of short stature (for instance: Ba.Konjo in Western Uganda mesure on average less than 1,60m high).
Third, there are no such thing as tribes among populations designated as pygmies.
Finally, you forget about polygamy (polygyny to be precise) in Central Africa, which makes the word “faithfull” a bit more problematic to understand (theoretically…) in these cultures.

It is strange that with your first sentence describing the need for an open mind accepting diversity, you feel the need to explain everything with one single not very subtle jugement assumption.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:09:22 +0000

We need to conserve Pygmies and their genetics (it may well be too late for the culture.)

The genetics of small volume are very desirable for people moving off-planet. They use far less resources than us tall folk.

By: deedee

deedee — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:22:49 +0000

What is interesting is how both the article, and the (first) comment speak of our (human) inability to accept diversity. We are only comfortable with what we know – and we are quick to judge others who are different and therefore “wrong” or inferior. I am willing to bet that the pygmy men were not effectively “faithful” to their pygmy women – or to their tribe and, therefore, did not spread their genes elsewhere – but rather women from other tribes judged them as being too short to be attractive or mate-worthy!

By: eukaryote

eukaryote — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:29:23 +0000

I’m so glad that there are comments sections attached to these articles, they contribute so much to the experience.

By: Ariundar

Ariundar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:44:03 +0000

Wow. Talk about a troll. Coming onto a science website to complain about spelling. And to boot, you’re wrong. As stated above, “civilisation” is the British (and hence, correct) spelling.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:32:33 +0000

HAHAHA, Hilarious. What a good definition of ignorance… or of haughty opinions?