Finally, the age-old debate that has kept dinner table conversations lively and philosophers scratching their heads seems to have been settled. The question, ‘What came first — the chicken or the egg?’ now has an answer, thanks to a discovery that takes us back over a billion years. And no, the answer isn’t chicken curry or egg-fried rice!
Scientists have been studying a tiny single-celled organism called ‘Chromosphaera perkinsii’. This ancient microbe, which has existed for over a billion years, has revealed something extraordinary. It seems the ability to form egg-like structures existed long before chickens — or even animals — showed up on Earth. This means the concept of an ‘egg’ was part of nature’s grand design well before anyone dreamt of poultry farms or sunny-side-up breakfasts.
So, how does this tiny microbe connect to the egg? Turns out, its behaviour during reproduction is surprisingly similar to the early stages of how embryos form in animals today. This has led scientists to believe that the ‘idea’ of an egg [a structure that helps life grow and develop] came first. In simple terms, long before chickens roamed the planet, eggs were already hatching new possibilities in evolution.
But hold on, it’s not that this microbe was laying eggs like our hens. Instead, its biology suggests that the basic process of creating an egg-like structure existed way before the first chicken clucked its way into history. Think of it as nature testing out its design — a kind of rough draft for what would later become the eggs we know today.
Of course, there’s always a twist. Scientists also say this could be a case of ‘convergent evolution’. That’s just a fancy way of saying that different organisms, at different times, could have come up with the same ‘idea’ independently. It’s like two people inventing the dosa at the same time in different parts of India — delicious, but unrelated.
Now that we know the egg came first, what does this mean for us? For one, it’s a relief! We can finally go to bed without getting caught up in an endless argument about chickens and eggs. It also reminds us how much we still don’t know about the wonders of evolution and the small, often overlooked organisms like ‘Chromosphaera’ that quietly shaped life on Earth.
But let’s not get too comfortable. History tells us that science never stays still for long. Some smart alec might come up with a different theory a hundred years from now, making the debate interesting all over again. After all, the question seems to pop up every time someone breaks an egg for an omelette or picks up chicken for curry or kabab. For now, let’s savour the answer while it lasts; and maybe crack a joke or two while we crack an egg!
