Human genetic diversity and comparative economic development

Arbeitspapier

This research contributes to the understanding of human genetic diversity within a society as a significant determinant of its economic development. The hypothesis advanced and empirically examined in this paper suggests that there are socioeconomic trade-offs associated with genetic diversity within a given society. The investigation exploits an exogenous source of cross-country variation in genetic diversity by appealing to the 'out of Africa' hypothesis of human origins to empirically establish a highly statistically significant and robust non-monotonic effect of genetic diversity on development outcomes in the pre-colonial era. Contrary to theories that reject a possible role for human genetics in influencing economic development, this study demonstrates the economic significance of diversity in genetic traits, while abstaining entirely from conceptual frameworks that posit a hierarchy of such traits in terms of their conduciveness to the process of economic development.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 2008-3

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economic History: Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations: General, International, or Comparative ; Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: General, International, or Comparative ; Economic History: Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment, and Extractive Industries: General, International, or Comparative ; Economic Development: General ; Economywide Country Studies: General ; Cultural Economics; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology: General
• Subject: Human genetic diversity ; Comparative development ; Population density ; Neolithic Revolution ; Land productivity ; Malthusian stagnation ; Gesellschaft ; Biodiversität ; Bevölkerungstheorie ; Wirtschaftswachstum ; Entwicklung ; Produktivität ; Bevölkerungsdichte ; Anthropologie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Ashraf, Quamrul ; Galor, Oded
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Brown University, Department of Economics
• (where): Providence, RI
• (when): 2008

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/62667
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET