2006-12-13 03:15:00 · 11 answers · asked by ash 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It can be explained by artificial selection and natural selection.
Humans artificially select harder egg shell so that they don't loose a lot of money by damage the eggs. You know transporting the eggs from farms to the stores if not careful can break lots of eggs. So hard egg shells are more likely to be selected. They can artificially select hard egg shells by feeding birds with more calcium.
Now for natural selection, is in nature, there are organisms (such as birds) that eat eggs. the harder the egg shell, the more chance that the embryo will survive. Even if there is no predator that eat eggs, it would always be nice to have hard egg shells to protect the embryo (who know environment such as storm, wind can sweep away bird nest and eggs, those hard egg shells have more chance to survive than those who have soft shells. Nature favors hard egg shells.
2006-12-13 03:41:36 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. Zoo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason the shells are tougher is because the feed that the chickens are being fed is higher in calcium. Egg shells are mostly calcium, so the more calcium in the feed, the harder the shells are. I have experience in egg production. The breed of chicken that is used to lay the eggs is also a factor. Some breeds of chickens lay poor shell quality eggs.
2006-12-13 03:26:22 · answer #2 · answered by commander_dack 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The hardness of an egg shell has to do with the calcium content of it. When I had chickens I put out oyster shell for them to peck at. That way they could get what calcium they wanted. With modern egg production I suppose it would be possible to force feed extra calcium to the chickens. But eggs from those huge operations can also be below standard. I was cooking in a truck stop in Nevada one time and we had a whole case of eggs where all the yolks broke. This was do to forcing the chickens to drink too much water. So, sometimes an egg might be harder to crack than other times. It has to do in part with how much calcium they have been getting.
2006-12-13 03:25:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eggs were first created when birds evolved. As it was in the initial stages, evolution couldn't really make it strong. As millions of years passed, the eggs have developed a 'calcerous' covering which has become tougher over the years. Evolution at work here.
2006-12-13 03:24:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are they? Can't say I've noticed! Maybe we can blame it on global warming, as everything gets blamed on that these days! hehe... it's getting colder so the chickens produce eggs with thicker shells!
2006-12-13 03:18:10 · answer #5 · answered by Sami 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the chicken feed.. additives.. drugs.. all that nonesense that animals and plants are drugged up with to make them better/stronger/bigger is probably what made the shells stronger.. if that is true... i'd rather eat eggs thent est them;)...or perhaps the males of this generation are better then the previous;)
2006-12-13 03:24:33 · answer #6 · answered by l2onaldinho1010 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How do you know that they are? I haven't noticed but I'd have to say its partly evolution and partly the types of food that the chickens eat.
2006-12-13 03:22:46 · answer #7 · answered by truly_insightful 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Radialogical mutation,. and now we are all going to die
2006-12-13 03:23:19 · answer #8 · answered by Z 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just like everything adaptation
2006-12-13 03:17:54 · answer #9 · answered by eggbcn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
better chickens
2006-12-13 07:22:49 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋