Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the genetic epidemiology of normal human growth and development describing how auxologists can most profitably approach the study of the genetics of growth and development. It also describes the most important quantitative genetic terms and the concepts that are used in understanding genetic epidemiology of normal growth and development. A number of different study designs can be used to examine the genetics of complex traits. Each study design has certain advantages and disadvantages. This chapter discusses major types of study designs used by genetic epidemiologists to study complex quantitative traits. It also provides an overview of studies on genetic factors in growth and development that have been conducted over the last century. These reviews focus on studies of height, birth weight, menarche, and skeletal development. Finally the author highlights the topics discussed in the chapter through examples of genetic analyses conducted over the years in the Fels Longitudinal Study and those currently underway in the recently established Jiri Growth Study.