Genetic and environmental influences on adult human height across birth cohorts from 1886 to 1994
Figures

Additive genetic (grey), shared environmental (black) and unique environmental (white) variances of height across birth-year cohorts for the pooled data and by geographic-cultural region.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20320.003Tables
Descriptive statistics of age and height by sex, birth year and geographic-cultural region. Names list of the participating twin cohorts in this study: two cohorts from Australia (Australian Twin Registry and Queensland Twin Register), six cohorts from East-Asia (Korean Twin-Family Register, Mongolian Twin Registry, Osaka University Aged Twin Registry, South Korea Twin Registry, Qingdao Twin Registry of Adults and West Japan Twins and Higher Order Multiple Births Registry), 18 cohorts from Europe (Adult Netherlands Twin Registry, Berlin Twin Register, Bielefeld Longitudinal Study of Adult Twins, Danish Twin Cohort, East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey, Finnish Older Twin Cohort, FinnTwin12, FinnTwin16, Genesis 12–19 Study, Hungarian Twin Registry, Italian Twin Registry, Murcia Twin Registry, Norwegian Twin Registry, Swedish Twin Cohorts, Swedish Young Male Twins Study of Adults, TCHAD-study, TwinsUK and Young Netherlands Twin Registry), two cohorts from South-Asia and Middle-East (Sri Lanka Twin Registry and Turkish Twin Study) and 12 cohorts from North-America (California Twin Program, Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging, Colorado Twin Registry, Michigan State University Twin Registry, Mid Atlantic Twin Registry, Minnesota Twin Registry, NAS-NRC Twin Registry, SRI-international, University of British Columbia Twin Project, University of Southern California Twin Study, University of Washington Twin Registry and Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging).
Age | Height | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All cohorts | All cohorts | Europe | NA and Australia | East Asia | |||||||||||||||
Birth year | Mean | SD | Range | N | Mean (F, p-value)* | SD (F, p-value)† | N | Mean | SD | N | Mean | SD | N | Mean | SD | ||||
Men | |||||||||||||||||||
1886–1909 | 67.0 | 7.5 | 53.5–99.2 | 3747 | 171.6 (15, < 0.001) | 6.34 (2.5,0.019) | 3569 | 171.5 | 6.27 | 178 | 174.6 | 6.88 | |||||||
1910–1919 | 52.2 | 16.2 | 20.0–95.8 | 9171 | 174.2 (23, < 0.001) | 6.72 (5.0,<0.001) | 4117 | 173.3 | 6.37 | 5052 | 174.9 | 6.91 | |||||||
1920–1929 | 51.6 | 16.1 | 20.0–90.9 | 23147 | 175.4 (62, < 0.001) | 6.81 (5.7,<0.001) | 6382 | 173.9 | 6.42 | 16714 | 176.0 | 6.82 | |||||||
1930–1939 | 57.5 | 10.5 | 33.5–83.2 | 12028 | 175.7 (413, < 0.001) | 6.70 (2.9,<0.001) | 9308 | 175.2 | 6.42 | 2658 | 178.1 | 6.78 | |||||||
1940–1949 | 49.3 | 10.6 | 23.5–73.9 | 22967 | 177.4 (72, < 0.001) | 6.73 (2.5,<0.001) | 16629 | 177.0 | 6.53 | 6235 | 178.4 | 6.95 | 68 | 164.8 | 6.57 | ||||
1950–1959 | 41.4 | 10.0 | 19.5–65.0 | 24560 | 178.4 (120, < 0.001) | 6.96 (6.5,<0.001) | 15199 | 178.5 | 6.73 | 9124 | 178.7 | 7.04 | 161 | 167.1 | 4.79 | ||||
1960–1969 | 35.5 | 7.1 | 19.5–54.0 | 13264 | 179.0 (99, < 0.001) | 7.49 (2.3,<0.001) | 6218 | 179.6 | 7.04 | 6574 | 179.2 | 7.22 | 298 | 168.1 | 6.24 | ||||
1970–1979 | 28.7 | 5.4 | 19.5–44.0 | 14975 | 179.9 (121, < 0.001) | 7.55 (5.5,<0.001) | 10339 | 180.7 | 7.01 | 3906 | 179.7 | 7.51 | 456 | 170.1 | 5.68 | ||||
1980–1994 | 23.1 | 3.2 | 19.5–34.4 | 9948 | 178.4 (70, < 0.001) | 7.59 (4.9,<0.001) | 5077 | 178.8 | 7.22 | 4066 | 179.4 | 7.49 | 329 | 173.1 | 6.37 | ||||
Women | |||||||||||||||||||
1886–1909 | 68.5 | 8.1 | 53.5–98.0 | 5423 | 160.2 (23, < 0.001) | 6.14 (3.3,0.006) | 5011 | 160.2 | 6.11 | 412 | 160.2 | 6.41 | |||||||
1910–1919 | 62.0 | 10.9 | 43.6–95.9 | 7169 | 161.1 (18, < 0.001) | 5.93 (2.5,0.002) | 5621 | 161.0 | 5.85 | 1548 | 161.2 | 6.20 | |||||||
1920–1929 | 59.7 | 11.4 | 37.5–91.7 | 10975 | 162.1 (65, < 0.001) | 5.99 (3.8,<0.001) | 7908 | 162.0 | 5.89 | 3052 | 162.4 | 6.16 | |||||||
1930–1939 | 57.9 | 10.0 | 33.5–83.0 | 14610 | 162.7 (249, < 0.001) | 6.05 (5.8,<0.001) | 11226 | 162.5 | 5.83 | 3344 | 163.2 | 6.49 | |||||||
1940–1949 | 49.9 | 10.2 | 23.5–74.0 | 28537 | 163.7 (175, < 0.001) | 6.19 (10.3,<0.001) | 20097 | 163.9 | 5.93 | 8285 | 163.5 | 6.57 | 100 | 153.6 | 5.33 | ||||
1950–1959 | 41.3 | 9.5 | 19.5–64.0 | 31250 | 164.4 (146, < 0.001) | 6.58 (13.6,<0.001) | 18817 | 164.8 | 6.22 | 12080 | 164.1 | 6.78 | 225 | 155.1 | 5.10 | ||||
1960–1969 | 35.8 | 6.9 | 19.5–54.3 | 20422 | 165.1 (163, < 0.001) | 7.00 (8.6,<0.001) | 9604 | 166.2 | 6.58 | 10182 | 164.6 | 6.87 | 438 | 156.8 | 5.17 | ||||
1970–1979 | 29.3 | 5.4 | 19.5–44.3 | 19893 | 165.9 (180, < 0.001) | 7.27 (11.5,<0.001) | 11819 | 167.3 | 6.67 | 7034 | 165.0 | 7.22 | 718 | 158.5 | 5.58 | ||||
1980–1994 | 23.4 | 3.3 | 19.5–34.3 | 14694 | 164.7 (118, < 0.001) | 7.07 (6.2,<0.001) | 7291 | 165.6 | 6.77 | 6274 | 164.9 | 6.96 | 633 | 159.8 | 5.74 |
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*Welch ANOVA test for equality of means
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†Levene’s test for equality of variances; SD: standard deviation
Proportion of the height variance explained by additive genetic, shared environmental and unique environmental factors by birth year, sex and geographic-cultural region.
Men | Women | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Additive genetics | Shared environment | Unique environment | Additive genetics | Shared environment | Unique environment | ||||||||||||||||||
Birth year | A | 95% CIs | C | 95% CIs | E | 95% CIs | A | 95% CIs | C | 95% CIs | E | 95% CIs | |||||||||||
All cohorts | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1886–1909 | 0.78 | 0.69 | 0.80 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.22 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.53 | 0.43 | 0.62 | 0.13 | 0.05 | 0.21 | 0.34 | 0.31 | 0.37 | |||||
1910–1919 | 0.82 | 0.76 | 0.87 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.67 | 0.60 | 0.74 | 0.11 | 0.04 | 0.18 | 0.22 | 0.20 | 0.24 | |||||
1920–1929 | 0.72 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.70 | 0.64 | 0.76 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.19 | |||||
1930–1939 | 0.73 | 0.68 | 0.79 | 0.10 | 0.04 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.18 | 0.74 | 0.68 | 0.79 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.16 | |||||
1940–1949 | 0.74 | 0.70 | 0.78 | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.78 | 0.75 | 0.82 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
1950–1959 | 0.72 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 0.16 | 0.12 | 0.20 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.73 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 0.15 | 0.11 | 0.18 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
1960–1969 | 0.69 | 0.63 | 0.76 | 0.16 | 0.09 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.75 | 0.14 | 0.09 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.17 | |||||
1970–1979 | 0.77 | 0.72 | 0.83 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.17 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.68 | 0.64 | 0.73 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.23 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
1980–1994 | 0.84 | 0.77 | 0.90 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.66 | 0.61 | 0.72 | 0.21 | 0.16 | 0.27 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1886–1909 | 0.78 | 0.69 | 0.80 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.22 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.40 | 0.60 | 0.14 | 0.06 | 0.23 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.39 | |||||
1910–1919 | 0.85 | 0.79 | 0.87 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.66 | 0.58 | 0.74 | 0.10 | 0.02 | 0.17 | 0.24 | 0.22 | 0.26 | |||||
1920–1929 | 0.69 | 0.62 | 0.76 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.72 | 0.65 | 0.79 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.21 | |||||
1930–1939 | 0.75 | 0.69 | 0.81 | 0.11 | 0.05 | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.76 | 0.70 | 0.82 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.17 | |||||
1940–1949 | 0.77 | 0.72 | 0.82 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.79 | 0.75 | 0.83 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
1950–1959 | 0.72 | 0.68 | 0.77 | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.20 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.79 | 0.75 | 0.83 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.13 | |||||
1960–1969 | 0.74 | 0.66 | 0.83 | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.23 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.78 | 0.72 | 0.85 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.14 | |||||
1970–1979 | 0.81 | 0.74 | 0.88 | 0.09 | 0.02 | 0.16 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.74 | 0.69 | 0.81 | 0.15 | 0.09 | 0.21 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.11 | |||||
1980–1994 | 0.87 | 0.77 | 0.92 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.64 | 0.57 | 0.72 | 0.26 | 0.18 | 0.32 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.11 | |||||
North America and Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1886–1909 | 0.83 | 0.33 | 0.90 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.49 | 0.16 | 0.10 | 0.26 | 0.76 | 0.43 | 0.82 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.31 | 0.24 | 0.18 | 0.32 | |||||
1910–1919 | 0.78 | 0.70 | 0.87 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.17 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.60 | 0.44 | 0.78 | 0.24 | 0.06 | 0.39 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.19 | |||||
1920–1929 | 0.73 | 0.69 | 0.77 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.18 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.63 | 0.52 | 0.76 | 0.22 | 0.09 | 0.33 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.17 | |||||
1930–1939 | 0.81 | 0.66 | 0.83 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.70 | 0.59 | 0.82 | 0.17 | 0.04 | 0.28 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.15 | |||||
1940–1949 | 0.69 | 0.61 | 0.77 | 0.19 | 0.10 | 0.27 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.80 | 0.72 | 0.87 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.14 | |||||
1950–1959 | 0.75 | 0.68 | 0.82 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.21 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.67 | 0.61 | 0.73 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.26 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | |||||
1960–1969 | 0.66 | 0.58 | 0.76 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.24 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.20 | 0.63 | 0.57 | 0.70 | 0.18 | 0.11 | 0.24 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.20 | |||||
1970–1979 | 0.68 | 0.57 | 0.81 | 0.18 | 0.05 | 0.29 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.60 | 0.53 | 0.67 | 0.25 | 0.18 | 0.32 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.16 | |||||
1980–1994 | 0.83 | 0.72 | 0.89 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.16 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.14 | 0.71 | 0.62 | 0.81 | 0.14 | 0.04 | 0.23 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.16 | |||||
East Asia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1940–1949 | 0.83 | 0.33 | 0.97 | 0.12 | 0.00 | 0.61 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.71 | 0.17 | 0.94 | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.73 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.18 | |||||
1950–1959 | 0.64 | 0.24 | 0.91 | 0.23 | 0.00 | 0.63 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.20 | 0.42 | 0.14 | 0.92 | 0.48 | 0.00 | 0.75 | 0.10 | 0.07 | 0.15 | |||||
1960–1969 | 0.67 | 0.36 | 0.94 | 0.24 | 0.00 | 0.56 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.12 | 0.92 | 0.67 | 0.94 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.25 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.10 | |||||
1970–1979 | 0.85 | 0.51 | 0.95 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 0.43 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.79 | 0.52 | 0.96 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.43 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.06 | |||||
1980–1994 | 0.88 | 0.51 | 0.91 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.37 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.58 | 0.34 | 0.90 | 0.31 | 0.00 | 0.55 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.14 |
Additional files
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Supplementary file 1
Supplementary tables.
(A) Height variance explained by additive genetic, shared environmental and unique environmental factors by birth year, sex and geographic-cultural region. (B) Model fit statistics for adult height by birth-year cohorts (all twin cohorts together). (C) Height variance and proportion of height variance explained by additive genetic, shared environmental and unique environmental factors by birth year, sex and geographic-cultural region.
- https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20320.005