Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Origin of Human Love for Farm-raised Chicken Eggs

0 0
Read Time:2 Minute

Humanity’s Appreciation for Farm-Raised Chicken Eggs

New insights from archaeologists have shed light on the origins of human affinity for farm-raised chicken eggs. According to recent findings, individuals in Central Asia embarked on raising the ancestors of current-day chickens for their eggs as early as 400 BCE. This discovery points towards a steady supply of eggs playing a pivotal role in the widespread popularity of these birds across ancient societies.

Debate Surrounding Chicken Domestication

While it is widely recognized that today’s chickens are descendants of the red junglefowl, an existing species of wild bird, the exact process and timeline of chicken domestication have stirred scholarly discussions. The challenge arises from the fragile nature of bird bones and eggshells, which are less prone to preservation compared to other archaeological findings. Consequently, researchers sometimes erroneously identify remains of birds like pheasants or geese as chickens.

The authors of a recent study, published in the journal Nature Communications, argue that advancements in genetic analysis offer the opportunity to address longstanding queries regarding the early history of chickens.

Insights from Genetic Analysis

An international team conducted an analysis of eggshell fragments recovered from 12 archaeological sites dating back 1,500 years. These sites were likely situated along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes spanning Asia and Europe. While renowned for silk trade, these sites also showcased a significant presence of chicken eggshells, indicating the value placed on chicken eggs in these regions.

An interesting discovery was the frequency of egg production, which exceeded expectations for red junglefowl. This anomaly suggests that ancient chickens might have developed the ability to lay eggs outside of specific seasons, marking this finding as the earliest evidence of seasonal egg laying cessation in the archaeological record.

See also
Boeing's Starliner to Bring U.S. Human Spaceflight Back

Lead author Robert Spengler, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, emphasized the significance of this finding in a recent statement from the institute.

Implications of the Research

The data collected from these archaeological sites led the authors to estimate that the practice of raising chickens for egg production became prevalent in Central Asia between 400 BCE and 1000 CE. This increase in egg availability served to elevate the popularity of chickens and paved the way for their widespread domestication.

Despite these advancements, many mysteries still cloak the domestication of chickens. While some studies propose a domestication timeline of 10,000 years ago, others suggest a more recent timeframe of 5,400 years. Recent research indicates the possibility of multiple domestication events across Southeast Asia and India, involving various bird species aside from the red junglefowl.

Nevertheless, the authors assert that their work contributes to a better understanding of the complex relationship between humans and animals, culminating in the domestication of chickens. This insight brings us closer to unraveling the enigma of how chickens evolved into an integral part of human society.

Image/Photo credit: source url

About Post Author

Chris Jones

Hey there! 👋 I'm Chris, 34 yo from Toronto (CA), I'm a journalist with a PhD in journalism and mass communication. For 5 years, I worked for some local publications as an envoy and reporter. Today, I work as 'content publisher' for InformOverload. 📰🌐 Passionate about global news, I cover a wide range of topics including technology, business, healthcare, sports, finance, and more. If you want to know more or interact with me, visit my social channels, or send me a message.
Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %