What Makes Pygmies Pygmy?
Pygmy by definition is group of equatorial Africans under 5 feet tall. The word pygmy is derived from the Greek term Pygmaioi, which is a unit of measurement equivalent to the length from the elbows to the knuckles. Pygmy was first used by Homer in the Iliad to describe a mythological tribe of diminutive humans who lived in India and Ethiopia. Pygmy groups have been the natural subject of scientific research. For example, the uniqueness of this population is confirmed by studies of both its evolutionary genetics and variations in insulin receptor structures. Small statue and early menarche have been theorized to be related to selection pressure caused by early mortality related to the environmental constraints of forest dwelling. Yet, very little, if any research documents the health care status, service needs or utilization of this endangered population.
