Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Animals

Medieval Christian monks may have sped up the evolution of the modern chicken

We may have to thank Christian monks for today's chicken.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
May 3, 2017
in Animals, News

Chickens, the world’s most numerous livestock, provide food and money for hundreds of millions of people. It’s believed this fruitful relationship, obviously for the patron — us humans — first appeared some 6,000 years ago when we domesticated the first red jungle fowls in Asia. It took a while, though, before chickens become very proficient and efficient egg laying animals. According to a new study, the genes that essentially made way for the modern chicken were selected less than 1,200 years ago. Interestingly, these ‘super’ domesticated chickens may have been bred as a result of Christian fasting traditions.

chicken.
Credit: Pixabay.

To learn when and how the modern chicken made friends with human breeders, an international team of researchers looked at data gathered by previous studies. This includes data on specific gene variants that look like they appeared as a result of selective evolutionary pressure. For instance, the chicken’s thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) has been previously identified to enable faster egg-laying and to reduce the aggressivity of the animal.

According to archaeological evidence, chicken bones started to dramatically increase in volume from the 9th century C.E. onwards. Knowing this, the researchers developed a new mathematical model that could pinpoint in time when the traits that make the chicken such an important livestock started to increase in frequency in Europe.

From about 920 CE, selection for the TSHR variant began to be widespread. Around this time, only 40% of the chicken were estimated to have this gene variant but by 1100 C.E., virtually 100% of all chickens had the TSHR. It’s no coincidence that this timeline overlaps with a huge jump in urbanization but also a period when Christian edicts enforced fasting and the exclusion of four-legged animals from the diet. Chickens were obviously exempted from this rule, as was their meat and eggs. Their small size and easy maintenance also made them ideal livestock in crowded urban or sub-urban environments.

“We cannot say which one of these was most important but most likely a combination of all these factors affected selective pressures on European chickens and consequently their evolution.” Says author Anders Eriksson.

“Several independent archaeological studies have documented substantial increases in the frequency of chicken remains between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as a shift towards the management of adult hens, presumably to increase egg production.” said Mark Thomas, an author on the study. “Intriguingly, this is the period when selection on the TSHR variant most likely kicked off”.

The study is remarkable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it shows just how much of an impact and how easy it is for humans to drive a trait. Really, two centuries is like the blink of an eye on an evolutionary timescale. Secondly, it shows how important human customs and traditions are in shaping the crops, plants, and animals that we breed. The findings published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.also show “that simply because a domestic trait is ubiquitous, it may not have been a target for selection at the very beginning of the domestication process”, says Greger Larson, who led the research team.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Medieval monks had a lot of intestinal parasites — much more than the average person
  2. What are Cistercian numbers — the forgotten ciphers of Medieval monks
  3. DNA tests reveal that Subway’s chicken only has 50% chicken
  4. Meet the Chicken of the Woods – the mushroom that tastes like chicken
  5. Apple under fire for Christian ‘Gay Cure’ app
Tags: chickenevolutionlivestock

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW