Historical Social Research

HSR Trans 28: Online Appendix to: Eurasia Advantage, not Genetic Diversity: Against Ashraf and Galor’s “Genetic Diversity” Hypothesis

Shiping Tang: Online Appendix to: Eurasia Advantage, not Genetic Diversity: Against Ashraf and Galor’s “Genetic Diversity” Hypothesis. HSR Trans 28 (2016) v01.

Ashraf and Galor (2012) advanced the bold thesis that genetic diversity within different human populations has been a foundational determinant of long-run economic development. In the HSR article “Eurasia Advantage, not Genetic Diversity: Against Ashraf and Galor’s ‘Genetic Diversity’ Hypothesis,” we show that their results are not robust after controlling for a key missing variable – the Eurasia dummy. After controlling for the Eurasia dummy, all indicators of genetic diversity lose statistical significance in regressions with indicators of economic development as dependent variables. Ashraf and Galor’s statistical results merely “reflect” – literally – Eurasia’s unique advantage in supporting economic development that was mostly based on settled agriculture until about AD1500.

The appendices included in this volume of HSR Trans complement the following article: Shiping Tang, 2016, Eurasia Advantage, not Genetic Diversity: Against Ashraf and Galor’s “Genetic Diversity” Hypothesis, Historical Social Research 41 (1): 287-327. doi: 10.12759/hsr.41.2016.1.287-327.

Appendix A: From Migratory Distance to “Predicted Genetic Diversity” (Ashraf and Galors’s Construction of Predicted Genetic Diversity).

Appendix B: Full Results, The Full Sample (The Whole World).

Appendix C: Full Results, The Whole World excluding ACNU.

Appendix D: Full Results, The Old World.

Appendix E: Full Results, Eurasia Only.

Appendix F: Full Results, Diamond’s Eurasia Advantage Thesis Vindicated.

Appendix G: Additional Tests, with Alternative DVs and IVs.

Appendix H: Testing Europe and Asia Separately (Full Sample: The Whole World).

Appendix I: Year of Neolithic Transition elapsed as of 2000CE (i.e., yst) is an Intervening Variable between Eurasia and PD1500

Appendix J: Why Controlling for “Continent Fixed Effects” is Inappropriate for Differentiating the Eurasia Advantage from “Genetic Diversity” 

To HSR Trans 28