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midnightsmum

Weekend Trivia -- Sunday

Morning All. Sorry I'm late, but I slept late (again). I didn't sleep well last night, as I am going to get my watercolours today - yea!! For those of you who know this story, this is a big thing in my life.

So, trivia today might not be brilliant today. However, according to researchers at Sheffield and Warwick universities, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Simple, yes??

Nancy.

Comments (19)

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    Good news, Nancy!

    Good question, too. I will guess the chicken came first since I can't imagine an egg evolving on its own. Actually, I should wait for TM! He should know this for sure. I reserve the right to change my mind after reading what everyone else says!!! ;)

    Cynthia

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    Hmmmm, I would think the chicken came first.

    Annette

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    You mean someone finally answered this question? Huh! I'm a chemistry and physics guy, and that's not doing me much good on this, so hmmmm ... must try to reason this out. OK, I'm going to say the egg came first.

    Here's what I'm thinking. Before chickens evolved into chickens, they were something else. The something elses mated and there was a mutation in one of the eggs that caused the offspring to be more chicken-like than mom and dad. Let's call it a chickenoid. The chickenoid passed its mutated genes on to other generations which eventually evolved into actual chickens. Without that first egg with the DNA mutation, there would have been no chickens, so the egg came first.

    How does that sound? Pretty good? It's the best I can do.

    TM

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    Humph!!! My DH is with you TM.

    Annette

  • mnwsgal
    12 years ago

    My limited education in biology and genetics would side with TM. Egg came first.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    Hey, that sounds better than pretty good, TM! Okay, I will switch to the egg came first-it makes sense that the chicken resulted from DNA changes within the egg.

    Annette, I'll run it by Chuck, too.

    Cynthia

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    lol. I love these simple questions - so many possibilities. I will say that I am not going with the dinosaur theory. Does that help??

    Nancy.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    Hmmm...not really, but Chuck agrees that the egg came first, so in this instance, I'll go with the guys!

    Cynthia

  • lorna-organic
    12 years ago

    Eggxactly

  • frogview00
    12 years ago

    yes, egg.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    LOL, looks like I'm the only one with a wrong guess, but dang it something had to spit that egg out.

    Annette

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    It seems like an old saw. In college, one instructor of mine purported that the egg came first because dinosaurs laid eggs, but it if you keep is all about the chickens, that`s not fair. I found this noodling around on the internet, from msnbc:

    It is an age-old riddle that has perplexed generations: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
    Now British scientists claim to have finally come up with the definitive answer: The chicken.
    The scientific and philosophical mystery was purportedly unraveled by researchers at Sheffield and Warwick universities, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
    The scientists found that a protein found only in a chicken's ovaries is necessary for the formation of the egg, according to the paper Wednesday. The egg can therefore only exist if it has been created inside a chicken.
    The protein speeds up the development of the hard shell, which is essential in protecting the delicate yolk and fluids while the chick grows inside the egg, the report said.
    "It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first," said Dr. Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University's Department of Engineering Materials, according to the Mail.
    "The protein had been identified before and it was linked to egg formation, but by examining it closely we have been able to see how it controls the process," he said.
    Professor John Harding, from the same department, said the discovery could have other uses, according to the Daily Mail. "Understanding how chickens make egg shells is fascinating in itself but can also give clues towards designing new materials and processes," he said.
    "Nature has found innovative solutions that work for all kinds of problems in materials science and technology - we can learn a lot from them." The discovery was revealed in the paper Structural Control Of Crystal Nuclei By An Eggshell Protein.

    So, Annette - good for you, for sticking with your gut!!

    Thanks for playing this week - that was fun!!

    Nancy.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Research

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    Way to go Annette!

    Thanks, Nancy. Off to look at your watercolors.

    Cynthia

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    So the first chicken did not come from an egg? Can't say I really understood their reasoning, but that's OK. There are a lot of things I don't understand. :)

    Fun question, Nancy. Thanks for the brain exercise.

    TM

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    TM, I`d think we`d have to read (and understand) their article in the professional journal. No chance for me, I thought maybe one of you educated types might understand it!!

    Nancy.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    I think this is going to be an ongoing argument, which came first the chicken or the egg. It depends how you interpert it.
    To get a CHICKEN egg there has to be a chicken, to get a chicken you have to have an EGG. I don't have the faintest how this all evolved but say something in the ocean fused together, became an egg which got washed up on shore, hatched into something and over time became a chicken.
    My reasoning is there had to be something to form that first egg, therefor my reasoning. For me the answer had to chicken, see how my brain works LOL.

    Annette

  • lorna-organic
    12 years ago

    I'm not buying the scientist's take on it, because the chicken came from an egg!

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Lorna - lol. I know, and chickens descended from dinosaurs, which also laid eggs. But moms always came before their children.....hmmmm. I don't know that this will ever be really 'solved'.

    Nancy.

  • frogview00
    12 years ago

    Are there any other studies that disagree? CNN always finds dispute with these things. LOLOLOLOLOL

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