Tall tale: Science unravels genetic secrets of height

Former NBA basketball player Yao Ming, standing tall among a sea of gawkers, counts as an exception to the stereotype image of Asians being short.

It’s no secret that if your parents are tall, you are tall as well. But fully understanding the genetics of height has been a big order for scientists.

Researchers unveil what they call the biggest such study to date, analysing genome data from more than a quarter million people to identify nearly 700 genetic variants and more than 400 genome regions relating to height.