Dear Netizens,
I wish to draw attention the the very real phenomena that is a change in phenotype among Swedish people, first to some measured evidence:
https://www.researchgate.net/publica..._Swedish_women
This would indicate a decrease in sexual dimorphism among their population.
Second is the decreasing age of puberty combined with rapid growth, noticeably in young males.
From my observation, Swedes mature and age quickly, they look college age by middle school and look 30 by the time they graduate high school.
I speculate rapid growth is present in other Scandinavian countries and the western world too to varying degrees.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...rticle/2738259
Also a discussion on this matter over a decade ago:
https://www.thelocal.se/discuss/inde...howtopic=12589
If you cannot understand what I am talking about I will show two photos for comparison:Above are Swedes in 1975Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
*One is Norwegian/German ancestry.
TRIGGER WARNING:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Swedes today
The main topics I want to discuss are:
1. Is this change happening elsewhere in the world?
2. What forces are driving this? Environmental causes or genetic selection?
3. Is this effect reversible?
4. What else will result from this?
5. How long until the popular image of Swedish people is adjusted?
6. Are there regional differences? Could they be used to isolate the factors responsible for the above?
My hypotheses are:
-Marriages but with social changes favoring early blooming men and women reproducing.
-Social changes favoring greater reproductive success of less dimorphic women (the Hilary Clinton effect).
-Cultural differences: Perpetual adolescence is frowned upon, acting like an adult favors adult looking reproductive success.
-Selection for height via earlier and more significant growth is responsible.
-For lack of better phrasing "big sexy men" are taking more of the women. Competition from very high male to female ratios among the younger generation are one reason.
Edit:
Personal observations of phenotype from graduation photos:
Swedes: Ages the fastest, women look largest.
Norwegians: Youngest appearance, but some are large, judging by the way the cast of Skam look now, their softer appearance compensates for much of the early maturity.
Danes: Vary from Swedish to regular European, maybe it depends on what region the person is from.
Finns: erm....I don't know, kinda oldish looking too.