Measuring the merit of a sensationalist documentary: A critical assessment of the Julcuy “Giant”

This commentary evaluates the assertions presented in the documentary series Code of the Wild that the skeleton of a 7-ft Manteño-Huancavilca individual allegedly recovered in the Ecuadorian village of Julcuy serves as evidence that a population of individuals of considerable stature once inhabited the region. Given that an intact femur survived a flood that occurred in Julcuy during the rainy season of 2023, it was possible to implement the Trotter and Gleser technique to determine the individual's stature with precision. By analyzing the femur of this individual, the commentary demonstrates that the stature of the individual had been grossly overestimated. This commentary reinforces the significance of mathematical formulae devised to determine living stature as opposed to rudimentary field measurements.