The Study
Human evolution: Stature variation in the Neolithic.
We don't know how the scientists did their study, so we can't say if eating more grains made people shorter or if it was because of their genes. It's like seeing a picture of two things happening together but not knowing if one caused the other.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When people started farming instead of hunting, they got a little shorter — but not because of bad food. It was mostly because their ancestors changed, and some people could drink milk, which helped.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The height change was small — not enough to make someone noticeably shorter in daily life, but detectable across populations over thousands of years.
- 2Not specified
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Current biology : CB
Year
2025
Authors
Lara R. Arauna
Related Content
Claims (2)
When humans began eating grain-based diets about 10,000 years ago, average height and brain volume decreased.
When humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming and raising animals during the Neolithic period, average height decreased slightly due to changes in genetic background, but this reduction was partly counteracted by the development of lactose tolerance.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.