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Technology in 1500 and genetic diversity

Author

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  • Tiago Neves Sequeira

    (Universidade da Beira Interior)

  • Marcelo Santos

    (Universidade da Beira Interior)

Abstract

The study of the deeply rooted determinants of development, technology and innovation is a very recent strand of the literature. This paper investigates the relationship between technology in 1500 and the ancestral genetic diversity of populations. It shows a strong hump-shaped relationship between genetic diversity and technological developments in 1500. This means that some of the technological achievements may stem from the genetic diversity mostly determined more than a millennium before. Results are robust to the introduction of several controls and to IV estimation. Moreover, our results highlight that agriculture and communication were the technologies most influenced by genetic diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Tiago Neves Sequeira & Marcelo Santos, 2019. "Technology in 1500 and genetic diversity," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1145-1165, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:56:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s00181-017-1391-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-017-1391-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Phiri, Andrew, 2020. "Genetic diversity, disease prevalence and the coronavirus pandemic," MPRA Paper 101175, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technology; Genetic diversity; Historical determinants of development; Historical determinants of technological development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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