I agree: if any Elves were the source one would think they would be 'tall enough'. I wonder why enough orcs seem fairly short in the Third Age (or am I off with this impression)?
I guess if we speculatively add Dwarves that might add yet another race! but I would rather embiggen the orcs of the Elder Days somehow, and attribute a dwindling to... well something.
I do think uruks were 'created' by breeding bigger, stronger (and possibly straighter) orcs with similar larger types, so maybe breeding could explain smaller snaga too, but who knows.
Good Tolkien discussion embiggens us all... but what about Orcs
