The Shadow of the Neolithic Revolution on Life Expectancy: A Double-Edged Sword

Franck, Raphael; Galor, Oded; Moav, Omer; Özak, Ömer

The Shadow of the Neolithic Revolution on Life Expectancy: A Double-Edged Sword

Raphael Franck, Oded Galor, Omer Moav () and Ömer Özak

No 9667, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: This research explores the persistent effect of the Neolithic Revolution on the evolution of life expectancy in the course of human history. It advances the hypothesis and establishes empirically that the onset of the Neolithic Revolution and the associated rise in infectious diseases triggered a process of adaptation reducing mortality from infectious diseases while increasing the propensity for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Exploiting an exogenous source of variation in the timing of the Neolithic Revolution across French regions, the analysis establishes the presence of these conflicting forces - the beneficial effects on life expectancy before the second epidemiological transition and their adverse effects thereafter.

Keywords: life expectancy; health; mortality; Neolithic Revolution; epidemiological transition; infectious disease; autoimmune disease; diabetes; Crohn’s Disease; HIV; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I15 J10 N00 N30 O10 O33 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gro and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9667

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