2006-07-10 07:17:56 · 15 answers · asked by fredroines 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's definitely the egg. Evolution would suggest that the creature that laid the first egg (with the first chicken inside it), was almost, but not quite a chicken. The egg it laid would have been the final step in the evolution of the chicken. Naturally, it could also be argued that the chicken is still evolving, and slowly change a fraction at a time, so perhaps we're not done yet.
And of course, some dinosaurs laid eggs, and their eggs were definitely before chickens :)
2006-07-10 07:27:11 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Death 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Egg. The key is that chickens ONLY come from chicken eggs, but that, at some point in the course of evolution, a non-chicken animal laid a chicken egg, giving birth to the new species. If an egg is not a chicken egg, it does not produce a chicken.
2006-07-10 08:20:08 · answer #2 · answered by Ekdar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I heard an interesting idea on this the other day, it has to be the egg from a genetic stand point. During the life of the chicken the chickens genetic structure is 'hard wired' or doesn't change. The only time there is any type of genetic change in the lifespan of the chicken is during its incubation period inside the egg. Therefore the egg has to come first in order to produce the chicken.
So where does the egg come from?
2006-07-10 07:28:57 · answer #3 · answered by Rob 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The technical answer is "somatic mutations become fixed in the genome during embyogenesis". In other words, the egg had to come first - anything "chicken-like" that developed by random mutation wouldn't be a complete chicken - that would only come when 100% (i.e. from birth, or the egg) chickens were formed.
2006-07-10 07:27:36 · answer #4 · answered by michelsa0276 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The egg of course. Dinosaurs laid eggs long before chickens even existed.
2006-07-10 07:21:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the chicken. you need a chicken inoerder to lay the eggs.
2006-07-10 07:32:52 · answer #6 · answered by wiizardmannn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That depends on which school or origin you come from. Personally I am Christian and believe in Creation so the egg came first. If you believe in evolution then the egg came first, but is would have been laid by a creature of a slightly different species.
2006-07-10 07:21:47 · answer #7 · answered by derajer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
chicken had to lay the egg
2006-07-10 07:21:04 · answer #8 · answered by slugworm88 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Embryonic eggs were developed with/by/for/during reptiles before there were any birds, including chickens.
2006-07-10 07:22:38 · answer #9 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The chicken came first. Cuz there's not gonna be like tigers, bears, lions, panguins (yay penguins!) and eggs.
2006-07-10 07:24:15 · answer #10 · answered by Corey 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋