Why are Dutch people so tall?

If you associate canals, tulips and tall people with the Netherlands, you're not alone. Now, scientists have figured out a new reason for the height of the Dutch—and it has to do with natural selection. read more

Natural selection and good environmental conditions may help explain why the Dutch are so tall. Photograph: Lee Clower/Lee Clower/weestock/Corbis The Netherlands is the land of giants: on average, its women stand almost 1.71 metres (5.6 feet) tall, and its men 1.84 metres. read more

If you associate canals, tulips and tall people with the Netherlands, you’re not alone. Now, scientists have figured out a new reason for the height of the Dutch—and it has to do with natural selection. read more

The Dutch diet: The average Dutch citizen eats a lot of breads, meats, cheese, and drinks a lot of milk -- more so than many of their European counterparts. The Dutch genes: It's fairly well-known that pre-civilization humans were much taller than their civilized counterparts. read more