A new study has provided insights into the biological reasons why men are usually taller than women.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday, revealed that adult males are, on average, 13 cm taller than females.
The research focused on the role of the SHOX (short stature homeobox) gene, located on both X and Y chromosomes, in influencing human height.
According to The New York Times, the study analysed genetic data from nearly one million 18-year-old or older individuals across three biobanks in the US and UK and identified 1,225 individuals with either missing or additional X or Y chromosomes.
Researchers focused on individuals with variations in sex chromosome numbers, such as those with an extra or missing X or Y chromosome.
Their findings revealed that people with an extra Y chromosome were significantly taller than those with an extra X chromosome.
The study found that the SHOX gene is more active in men than women, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the average height difference between the sexes.
The research explained that in females (XX), one of the two X chromosomes undergoes a natural process called X-inactivation, which limits the expression of many genes.
Although the SHOX gene partially escapes this silencing due to its location near the tip of the chromosome, it remains less active compared to its expression on the Y chromosome in males.
As a result, males (XY) experience greater combined activity of the SHOX gene, leading to a taller average height.
Matthew Oetjens, senior author of the study and a genetics researcher at Geisinger College of Health Sciences in Danville, Pennsylvania, said other male-specific traits, especially those linked to sex hormones, also influence height differences, along with genetic factors that remain not fully understood.
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