An unusual distribution for height among males in a Warao Indian village: A possible case of lineal effect

The Warao Indian village of Jobure has two modes for height within its adult male population. One mode is at 158 cm and the second occurs at 169 cm. Mean height for adult males and females for this village is significantly higher (alpha less than or equal to 0.05) than for the other Warao villages studied. Examination of the males involved shows that all unusually tall males, except two, are siblings or first cousins and are related to a taller than average village patriarch who is married to the tallest woman in the village. The Warao possess a social system that encourages the formation of small enclaves that are biased samples of the general population and consist of closely related individuals. The physical environment is such that villages only short distances apart may be socially isolated, thus inhibiting gene flow from adjacent settlements. The height distribution observed in the village of Jobure is considered to be the result of repetitive sampling along kinship lines and has been preserved by the physical and social environment.