scientists crack the chicken or the egg riddle

[PineappleMama]

Heard you the first time Nava, but since we're expanding previous thoughts...

I know scientists can be arrogant, they love to say Eureka We've Solved It... until the next generation comes along and proves them wrong... (and boy don't you know that just chaps their hide!) Likewise every religion says This Is How Things Are and expect any good follower to do just that, follow. But, the simple fact is I wasn't there, so I cannot possibly KNOW... I can figure, but not know. Hence me figuring it's arrogant for anyone to say they KNOW this that or the other... it ALL boils down to belief, whether it's in this or that deity or this or that scientific theory. I happen to believe in the facts as they're present at this moment, but should other facts come to light then I'll be willing to look and listen to see if I change to believing that new information. I don't believe the earth is flat, the center of the universe or that if I throw rags and corn in the corner that rats will be born... but once upon a time folks did.

I think the best thing we can do is evaluate the information we find, and go forward from there. Seeing things like the Newfoundland Dog tells me that evolution does happen. Why else would this certain animal in this certain place with this certain need (to swim) develop webbed toes for swimming? But, that doesn't in any way explain what started the evolutionary cycle. Goes back to I wasn't there so I'm not going to beat anyone over the head with my theory.

Maybe someday we'll know, for sure, but I imagine even then there will be folks who won't believe what's in front of their face. Whether that ends up being a cosmic accident, thus the religious folks don't believe. Or whether The End (many different names for it so I'm just saying it that way) comes and the non-religious folk refuse to believe what's going on. Someday maybe we'll know... maybe someday we'll have the science to know... but then... maybe not.

It's nifty to ponder, true enough... but I'm not all that sure that I understand how knowing that tidbit will in any way benefit our world or our species... especially in comparison to say... cure for cancer (irony there since cancer is cell mutation)... AIDS... alzheimer's... or how about a cheap way to provide clean drinking water to every person? Really there's just so many things that, to me, seem more important than this... kind of blushing that I rambled on this long about it... so I'll mosey on.

 

[redhen]

Chickens EVOLVED from "something".... we just dont know exactly what...
We DO know that they are related to the dinosaurs... so.... they evolved from them in some way... maybe..

And since folks keep bringing up god...
Nah... thats simply just not true....In MY opinion..... sorry folks.
I wasnt made from some mans rib-bone.. *snort*

But, we DID Evolve from something...
I'm thinking Lucy...

 

[Nava]

Heard you the first time Nava, but since we're expanding previous thoughts...

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:

Mother Earth is pretty dang amazing isn't she? I mean, babies are being born without the ability to grow wisdom teeth (something we no longer use... it's called evolving...), they are being born without an appendix... (I can't remember where I read these things, so don't ask), there's even dogs being born without TAILS!! (Not many, mind you, we CAN attribute this to a fluke, but I'd rather not) and how is it that a dinosaur became a chicken... did one day the dino just LAY a chicken egg?? Hmmm methinks that the dino just had slight tiny changes in them form time to time to make them, well... chickens!

 

[Oven Ready]

But, we DID Evolve from something...
I'm thinking Lucy...

As in 'I love Lucy' ? That would explain a lot

Seriously though, Is the 'scientist' suggesting that the chicken is the forerunner of all birds? All birds lay hard shelled eggs, it's very unlikely that the first ever hard shell layer was what we currently know as a chicken. If that is the case then it will be the only living organism that still exists in the same form as it did when it first evolved, while some strains of it managed to evolve into all the other birds we have in the world without a single one of them being better at filling the chickens role and therefore superceding it.

Scientists - huh - next thing they'll be telling us why chickens cross roads​

 

[redhen]

Quote:
As in 'I love Lucy' ? That would explain a lot

Seriously though, Is the 'scientist' suggesting that the chicken is the forerunner of all birds? All birds lay hard shelled eggs, it's very unlikely that the first ever hard shell layer was what we currently know as a chicken. If that is the case then it will be the only living organism that still exists in the same form as it did when it first evolved, while some strains of it managed to evolve into all the other birds we have in the world without a single one of them being better at filling the chickens role and therefore superceding it.

Scientists - huh - next thing they'll be telling us why chickens cross roads

I have been told i resemble her....

 

[debilorrah]

IMHO chickens hit the earth the same way us people did. God put us here. He put people here, He put animals here, the original breed to multiply. Chicken came first. That is my two cents. Worth about.... 2 cents.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Yep. Reptiles. They evolved into birds, and continued to lay eggs. I always thought it was pretty obvious that the chicken had to be there to lay the egg. How egg laying evolved, I can't say. But an awful lot of critters do it, maybe egg-laying is the "default setting", and some creatures eventually developed live birth, instead.

And I know which Lucy you mean...I think so, too.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
Unfortunately that doesn't explain a lot of things that existed then that don't now and visa-versa...

 

[Kev]

This is mostly a mess caused by journalists/editors.. their job are to make attention grabbing headlines and often they present articles that either don't say exactly what the scientists said or meant, either for making it "more exciting" or plain not understanding what the scientists said.

Here's a response from a scientist regarding that same article:

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/07/chickens_eggs_this_is_no_way_t.php

As for "birds evolved from dinosaurs"- there is a ton of evidence to support birds evolved from a particular branch of dinosaurs, the 'maniraptorian dinosaurs'- the same genersal type of "raptors" made famous in Jurassic Park. Many anatomical features are shared and similar between those and modern birds.. plus in recent years some fossils have been found with feathers preserved on the body further strengthening the dino-bird link. Good basic summary on this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_birds