On the Family Origins of Human Capital Formation: Evidence from Donor Children

We introduce a novel strategy to study the intergenerational transmission of human capital, net genetic skill transfers. For this purpose, we use unique data on children conceived through sperm and egg donation in IVF treatments Denmark. Because assignment donors is not selective, capital estimates allow for causal nurture interpretation. Once take account genes, find that only education mothers matters: association between mother's child test scores significant large, whereas father's insignificant practically zero.