What came first egg or hen?
Today I have come up with something that involves brainstorming. What came first, an egg or a hen? Whenever we tend to answer it, it is a never-ending cycle, so I have tried to convey to you what the scientists have concluded.
Eggs or chicken?
If we are not so specific about chicken eggs, then, of course, eggs of other animals are way older than the origin of chickens. Organisms reproduce sexually and produce gametes, ovum, and sperm; fertilization may be internal or external. Many organisms existed before the existence of the hen; simply put, the origin of fish dates about 530 million years ago, the origin of the hen is about 58,000 years ago, and the domesticated hen is about 10,000 years ago. Fish reproduce by laying eggs, and fertilization occurs externally. We often hear news about the discovery of dinosaur eggs, The evolution of dinosaurs began 230 million years ago, and they have laid eggs since then. So, if we talk about eggs in general, they have been in existence even before the existence of the hen.
The amniotic eggs
Earlier, we discussed the eggs of fish, but what differentiates them from the eggs of hens or the eggs of birds we see today is the hard outer shell. The eggs with the hard outer shell are called amniotic eggs. In comparison to the eggs laid by fish, amniotic eggs have a better chance of survival. The amniotic egg contains three extra layers such as amnion, chorion, and allantois. They provide nutrients, aid in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, prevent mechanical damage and shock altogether provide a better environment for the growing embryo.
Chicken eggs or chicken?
The eggs of chickens are amniotic eggs, which means that they have an outer shell. The eggshells are made of calcium carbonate, and the source of calcium for the formation of calcium carbonate in the chicken shell is calcium-rich foods. But what makes the conversion of calcium carbonate from the calcium they intake possible? It is a special type of protein called ovacleidin-17 (OC-17) that enables this process. Where does this protein exist? In the ovaries of the hen. So, it is evident that hens are necessary for the eggshells to be formed. Scientists put forth this explanation to conclude that the hen came first and then the egg.
The origin of the hen
Hold your laugh because the last time I said this in front of my class, everyone laughed as if I had said a joke. But it isn’t a joke! Yes, chickens are descendants of dinosaurs. They must have shared DNA at some point in evolution before we can distinguish them as animals and birds. It is also proven that they have some similar bone structures. Of course, they are not the chickens we see today, they are the ancestors of these “modern age” chickens. They differ from dinosaurs, as chickens do not have teeth. Next time you see a chicken imagine it with an extended tail, huge feet, and a big mouth instead of its beak. There might be a chance to know why they share a common ancestor.
The cross over
Let’s meet jungle fowls, These are chickens that dwell in forests, and they are very different from domesticated chickens that are reared by humans. Jungle fowl are not actual chickens and are of different varieties. When these were domesticated, different varieties were bred to lay eggs.” These eggs produced birds entirely different from both parents. So, these different birds are our chickens. But wait! I say chickens came first, but now I say these chickens are from eggs. Here is the tricky part: chickens came from eggs, but those eggs are jungle fowl’s eggs, a hybrid of jungle fowl’s eggs that gave chickens. I hope I’m not confusing you. Only after the first chicken from a hybrid egg lays its egg is it a” chicken egg”.
So, the chicken came first!
I know it is definitely confusing I will simplify it. We have heard that our ancestors were monkeys; similarly, dinosaurs share some degree of evolution with jungle fowl (forest chickens). There were different varieties of jungle fowl. Different types of jungle fowl mate to produce hybrid eggs (jungle fowl’s eggs because they are laid by two different jungle fowl). These hybrid eggs produced some kind of bird different from both the jungle fowl parents. These new birds are called chickens, but they are from jungle fowl’s eggs. When these chickens mate and lay “actual chicken eggs”.
Thank you for reading!