Last updated on October 1, 2020
Question:
Can you please tell me if siblings (brothers) usually end up the same height? I know it can range, but I just want to know typically.
Answer:
The spread of heights in a family can be up to 10 inches between the tallest and shortest of the same gender. As an example, in my family there are four brothers and there is a seven inch spread between the tallest and the shortest.
“We have now identified nearly 700 genetic variants that are involved in determining height.” [Jack Crone, “Unhappy about being shorter than your brother? Blame your genes – Scientists unlock DNA secrets of family heights“, DailyMail.com]
With this many combinations, it is not surprising that each person in a family will more likely than not be of a different height.