The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development

Quamrul Ashraf and Oded Galor

No 2016-02, Department of Economics Working Papers from Department of Economics, Williams College

Abstract: The importance of evolutionary forces for comparative economic performance across societies has been the focus of a vibrant literature, highlighting the roles played by the Neolithic Revolution and the prehistoric "out of Africa" migration of anatomically modern humans in generating worldwide variations in the composition of human traits. This essay provides an overview of the literature on the macrogenoeconomics of comparative development, underscoring the significance of evolutionary processes and of human population diversity in generating differential paths of economic development across societies. Furthermore, it examines the contribution of a recent hypothesis set forth by Nicholas Wade, regarding the evolutionary origins of comparative development, to this important line of research.

Keywords: Comparative development; human evolution; natural selection; genes; race; the "out of Africa" hypothesis; genetic diversity; interpersonal diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N10 N30 O11 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2016-03, Revised 2018-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-evo, nep-gro and nep-his
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Forthcoming in the Journal of Economic Literature.

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https://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/AshrafGalor_Macrogenoeconomics.pdf Full text (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2018)
Working Paper: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2017)
Working Paper: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2017)
Working Paper: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2017)
Working Paper: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2017)
Working Paper: The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development (2016)
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