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Scientists say the egg came before the chicken

Chicken and Egg - Level 4

Scientists may have solved one of life's greatest mysteries - the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. This has baffled us for centuries. However, researchers in Switzerland believe the egg came first. The scientists studied a tiny marine organism that dates back a billion years. They found it can form cellular structures that are similar to animal embryos. Thus, a prehistoric chicken did not need to lay an egg.

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

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Chicken and Egg - Level 5

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.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Chicken and Egg - Level 6

One of life's greatest mysteries may finally have been solved. Scientists believe they have unlocked the conundrum of the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. This problem has baffled great minds for centuries. However, researchers from the University of Geneva believe they have cracked this philosophical mystery. They suggest the egg came first. The scientists studied a tiny marine organism called Chromosphaera perkinsii. This single-celled species dates back over a billion years. The researchers found it can form multicellular structures which are similar to animal embryos. This means there was no need for a prehistoric chicken to lay an egg.

Researcher Marine Olivetta told "Nature Journal" that Chromosphaera perkinskii was first discovered in 2017 off the coast of Hawaii. She said it has offered many insights into ancient life forms. She said: "It's fascinating that a species discovered so recently allows us to go back in time a billion years." The researcher suggested that the genetics behind egg fertilization and embryonic development were present before animal life existed. This means nature could have created eggs long before evolution "invented chickens". A more straightforward answer to the chicken and egg problem is that chickens came into existence 10,000 years ago, whereas eggs have existed for millions of years.

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