One of life's greatest mysteries may have been solved. Scientists believe they have answered the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. This problem has baffled us for centuries. However, researchers in Switzerland believe they have cracked this mystery. They suggest the egg came first. The scientists studied a tiny marine organism. The single-celled species dates back over a billion years. The researchers found it can form multi-cellular structures that are similar to animal embryos. A prehistoric chicken did not need to lay an egg.

A researcher told "Nature Journal" that the organism was first discovered in 2017 in Hawaii. She said it has offered many insights into ancient life forms. She said the species "allows us to go back in time a billion years". The researcher said the genetics behind egg fertilization and embryo development were present before animal life existed. This means nature could have made eggs before chickens arrived. A more straightforward answer to the chicken and egg problem is that chickens appeared 10,000 years ago, whereas eggs have existed for millions of years.