One of the most debated questions in history is: what came first, chicken or egg? Some people argue that the chicken must have come first because it is a living creature that can reproduce. Others say that the egg must have come first because it is a simpler form of life that can evolve. But what does science say about this puzzle?
According to a recent study published in the journal Science Advances, the answer is neither. The researchers used a technique called molecular clock analysis to trace back the evolutionary history of birds and reptiles. They found that both chickens and eggs are derived from a common ancestor that lived about 310 million years ago. This ancestor was neither a bird nor a reptile, but a different kind of animal that had features of both.
The researchers also discovered that the first bird-like animals appeared about 170 million years ago, and the first chicken-like animals appeared about 58 million years ago. The egg-laying ability of these animals evolved gradually over millions of years, as they adapted to different environments and climates. Therefore, there was no clear point in time when the first chicken or the first egg was born.
So, the next time someone asks you what came first, chicken or egg, you can tell them that they are both wrong. The correct answer is a chicken-egg hybrid ancestor that lived millions of years ago.
