>>515079448
>This raised the carrying capacity a lot
So I'm trying to say that, the carrying capacity is not actually a constant or a static variable in this case. You can actually raise the carrying capacity when you make advancements.
This is probably why Europeans developed such strong bodies. This advancement enabled them to get more calories/acre out of the land. And of course improvements in trade and technology too.
Asia went through a different type of selection. It's likely that because they faced seasonal floods, particularly around the Yellow River where their main civilization was, they went through boom and bust cycles. The population would level off, be steady, then suddenly be cut and rapidly rebound.
Notice in Asia, people have way less aversion to "disgusting foods". They'll eat practically anything. This is probably because the survivors of this boom/bust cycle would get any calories possible into their bodies, from any source possible, without the luxury of choosing. Might also have something to do with why so many diseases come up out of asia, since they aren't so picky about what they eat. Bat soup anyone?
This is probably also why they have small bodies, to conserve calories. The smaller body people survived better in the times of scarcity.
Plus rice doesn't need hard backbreaking labor to farm, you don't need large powerful bodies like in Europe.