Chicken or the egg: Difference between revisions
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1. have to correct "Cite error" and 2. I'm able to WP:LISTEN how "chicken egg" and "chicken" can be without ambigouties or how to present these statements better |
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{{Wiktionary|chicken-or-egg question}} |
{{Wiktionary|chicken-or-egg question}} |
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The '''chicken or the egg''' [[causality]] [[dilemma]] is commonly stated as "which came first: the [[chicken]] or the [[egg (biology)|egg]]?". The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens. "Chicken-and-egg" is a metaphoric adjective describing situations where it is not clear which of two events should be considered the ''cause'' and which should be considered the ''effect''. |
The '''chicken or the egg''' [[causality]] [[dilemma]] is commonly stated as "which came first: the [[chicken]] or the [[egg (biology)|egg]]?". The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens. "Chicken-and-egg" is a metaphoric adjective describing situations where it is not clear which of two events should be considered the ''cause'' and which should be considered the ''effect''. |
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==Ambiguity in question== |
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* "chicken"<ref name=SOR>{{cite journal|first= Roy A. |last=Sorensen|title=The Egg came before the chicken|journal=Mind|volume=101|number=403|pages=541-542|year=1992|url=https://academic.oup.com/mind/article-abstract/101/403/541/947797?redirectedFrom=fulltext}}</ref> — impossible to make distinction between "proto chicken" and "chicken" using one word |
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* "chicken egg" — can be in two versions:<ref name=TAOK>{{cite book|ref=TAOK|author=[[Christopher Langan|Christopher Michael Langan]]|title=The art of knowing : expositions on free will and selected essays|date=2002|publisher=Mega Press|location=Eastport, N.Y.|isbn=0-9719162-0-9|page=98}}</ref> 1. contains a chicken<ref name="TAOK" /> 2. an egg laid by chicken (trivial and "chicken" is always first in this case);<ref name="TAOK" /> |
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==Scientific resolution== |
==Scientific resolution== |
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Revision as of 18:31, 8 November 2017
The chicken or the egg causality dilemma is commonly stated as "which came first: the chicken or the egg?". The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens. "Chicken-and-egg" is a metaphoric adjective describing situations where it is not clear which of two events should be considered the cause and which should be considered the effect.
Ambiguity in question
- "chicken"[1] — impossible to make distinction between "proto chicken" and "chicken" using one word
- "chicken egg" — can be in two versions:[2] 1. contains a chicken[2] 2. an egg laid by chicken (trivial and "chicken" is always first in this case);[2]
Scientific resolution
Although the question is typically used metaphorically, literal answers have been formulated for whether the chicken or egg came first.
If the question refers to eggs in general, the egg came first. The first Amniote egg appeared at least 200 millions of years BCE,[3] modern estimate is 312.[4]
If the question refers to chicken eggs specifically, the answer is still the egg,[1] but the explanation is more complicated. An animal nearly identical to the modern chicken (i.e., a proto-chicken) laid a fertilized egg that had DNA identical to the modern chicken (due to mutations in the mother's ovum, the father's sperm, or the fertilised zygote).[5][6] Put more simply by Neil deGrasse Tyson: "Which came first: the chicken or the egg? The egg – laid by a bird that was not a chicken."[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b Sorensen, Roy A. (1992). "The Egg came before the chicken". Mind. 101 (403): 541–542.
- ^ a b c Christopher Michael Langan (2002). The art of knowing : expositions on free will and selected essays. Eastport, N.Y.: Mega Press. p. 98. ISBN 0-9719162-0-9.
- ^ JSTOR 1304086
- ^ Benton M.J. and Donoghue P.C.J. 2006. Palaeontological evidence to date the tree of life. Molecular biology and evolution. 24(1): 26–53. [1]
- ^ Breyer, Melissa (2013-02-11). "Finally answered! Which came first, the chicken or the egg?". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
- ^ Fabry, Merrill (2016-09-21). "Now You Know: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
- ^ Neil deGrasse Tyson (2013-01-28). "Just to settle it once and for all: Which came first the Chicken or the Egg? The Egg -- laid by a bird that was not a Chicken". Twitter. Retrieved 2017-07-11.