# Tallest human without a pituitary disorder **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461 "2012-05-01T00:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mskarpelos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@mskarpelos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mskarpelos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/1 "2012-05-01T00:18:12Z")
Every list of the tallest humans I’ve ever seen included only people with some sort of pituitary gland disorder. I’m trying to find out the tallest person and tallest living person who grew to their respective heights based solely on genetics, not disease. All the internet searches I tried came up empty. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/2 "2012-05-01T00:21:07Z")
Yao Ming is 7 ft 6. Does he have a pituitary problem? ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/3 "2012-05-01T00:28:18Z")
Angus MacAskill > **[Angus MacAskill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_mccaskill)** > > Angus MacAskill (1825 – 8 August 1863) was a Scottish-born Canadian giant. In its 1981 edition the Guinness Book of World Records stated he was the strongest man, the tallest non-pathological giant and the largest true giant in recorded history at 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m), he also had the largest chest measurements of any non-obese man at 80 inches (203 cm). MacAskill was said to have accomplished feats of lifting a 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) ship's anchor to his chest and holding over 250 pounds (113 k... ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/4 "2012-05-01T00:44:18Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > Angus MacAskill > [Angus MacAskill - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_mccaskill) He only lived into his 30s, so I suspect an undiagnosed problem. Diagnostic science has advanced a lot since the 19th century. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/5 "2012-05-01T03:27:12Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > He only lived into his 30s, so I suspect an undiagnosed problem. Diagnostic science has advanced a lot since the 19th century. He died of a fever, though, so I’m not convinced by that. Given reports of his enormous strength, his not unreasonable BMI, and his normal-looking physique, he appears to have been a healthy and very large man. I have little doubt that there was a lot of HGH involved in his adolescent growth, but there must have been adequate production of the other necessary factors as well. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/6 "2012-05-01T03:45:12Z")
Incidentally, although Romanian boxer Gogea Mitu is said by Wikipedia (and apparently Guinness, at one time) to have been 7’11", boxing sources have him at 7’4" – anyone know about this guy? Looks to have been a pretty healthy guy, until he got tuberculosis. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-human-without-a-pituitary-disorder/620461/7 "2012-05-01T04:11:15Z")
I remember from my human genetics class in college that the upper limit was about seven feet, give or take an inch or two for environmental influences. That was back in '83, however.