Question

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (Please give an actual scientific answer)

Answer 1

It would have to be the egg. Explanation below ↓

Explanation:

The egg, would have to come before the chicken, as no chicken can exist without coming from an egg. We can also take this into literal terms as well, with the egg -that being the one used to lay offspring on land- would have come MILLIONS of years before any creature which looked roughly like a chicken, let alone a bird really.

We know early land animals, which were not insects, were amphibians. which would have to return to the water to lay their eggs as their offspring had only a 'jelly' like covering, and nothing to prevent them from drying out.

The first early reptiles -(of which most) animals which laid eggs with shells- were true land dwellers from birth, putting everything that is needed for the growing animal in the egg, including 'water', nutrition, importantly a shell to protect them from drying out in the sun (for a short time) and being able to breathe through the egg shell, rather than through the water/jelly in amphibian eggs.

Wind forward a million years, and we see the 'early birds', though they are much more dinosaur like than avian like, they have the early features of feathers, more 'honey comb-like' bones which makes them lighter and flight easier (even though it was more glide then), and the obvious ability to lay eggs like (mostly) all reptiles and avians do.

However the first 'real chicken' would have been what we call a 'proto chicken' something very similar to what a chicken looks like, we would have to also take into account and decide whether if this 'proto chicken' was domesticated or not yet, and if it was, would that be the chicken? (something to think about)

In summary, there is no doubt, that the egg, would have to, come before the chicken, the chicken egg, would also have to come before the chicken, an egg from a chicken, would come after we have the chicken.

Very confusing but I am sure you can see that the egg would need to come first to make chicken exist.

It is again an argument of definition to an extent, rather than scientific, but as you can see I have tried to scientifically analyse when the chicken would form and give you the best answer I could give.

Hope this helps
-Charlie