Additionally, it was not just any tulip that was traded so high, it was a specific strain that was considered especially beautiful and that people did not succe

Additionally, it was not just any tulip that was traded so high, it was a specific strain that was considered especially beautiful and that people did not succeed in systematically reproduce. There was a good reason for that: the beauty was not caused by genes, but by a virus [1][2]. [1] https://io9.gizmodo.com/5905247/the-virus-that-destroyed-the-dutch-economy https://io9.gizmodo.com/5905247/the-virus-that-destroyed-the... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_breaking_virus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_breaking_virus