History of Domestic Breeds
To start this review simply by repeating what has been written about the origins of domestic poultry in numerous books published over the last 100 or so years would be to ignore recent developments in the world of science.
For many years it was assumed that all poultry derived solely from the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus bankiva), which is founded over quite a large area, ranging eastwards from northeast India and southern Chin into many Southeast Asia countries.
However, this assumption of a one-bird origin has always had its detractors.
Many long and heated discussions have taken pace over the years, with some people firmly holding to the belief that there had to be more than one ancestor.
This conviction was based on some of the more unusual attributes found in certain breeds.
As a result of recent development in DNA analysis, scientists are starting to unveil evidence to support those doubters.
As recently as 2008, scientist reported that the yellow skin gene found in domestic poultry does not originate from the Reg Jungle Fowl.
A more likely origin for this gene suggests a possible cross between the two lines thousands of years ago.
Unfortunately, the origin of domestic poultry, although fascinating to some people, has never rated very highly on the archaeological radar of importance.
The result is that finds of chickens' bones have usually been ignored as of little or no interest.
Since the nineteenth century, finds of bones attributed to various species of Gallus have been turning up in Neolithic sites all over Europe and are only now attracting more interest.
This may help shed light on the matter or may confuse the picture even more; only time will tell if these discoveries will add fuel to future debates.
However, we can be sure that the complete story of the origins of the chicken are set to run for a number of years yet.
Early beginnings Bones of domestic fowl dating to around 5000 B.
C have been recovered during archaeological excavations at Cishan in northern Chine.
Possibly of more relevance to modern domestic breeds of fowl is the fact that other chickens bones, later identified as being not only of a Red jungle Fowl type, but also a Malay-type fowl and another of intermediate size (possibly of similar build to an Asil), were found in northeast Thailand and dated around 3500 B.
C.
For many years it was assumed that all poultry derived solely from the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus bankiva), which is founded over quite a large area, ranging eastwards from northeast India and southern Chin into many Southeast Asia countries.
However, this assumption of a one-bird origin has always had its detractors.
Many long and heated discussions have taken pace over the years, with some people firmly holding to the belief that there had to be more than one ancestor.
This conviction was based on some of the more unusual attributes found in certain breeds.
As a result of recent development in DNA analysis, scientists are starting to unveil evidence to support those doubters.
As recently as 2008, scientist reported that the yellow skin gene found in domestic poultry does not originate from the Reg Jungle Fowl.
A more likely origin for this gene suggests a possible cross between the two lines thousands of years ago.
Unfortunately, the origin of domestic poultry, although fascinating to some people, has never rated very highly on the archaeological radar of importance.
The result is that finds of chickens' bones have usually been ignored as of little or no interest.
Since the nineteenth century, finds of bones attributed to various species of Gallus have been turning up in Neolithic sites all over Europe and are only now attracting more interest.
This may help shed light on the matter or may confuse the picture even more; only time will tell if these discoveries will add fuel to future debates.
However, we can be sure that the complete story of the origins of the chicken are set to run for a number of years yet.
Early beginnings Bones of domestic fowl dating to around 5000 B.
C have been recovered during archaeological excavations at Cishan in northern Chine.
Possibly of more relevance to modern domestic breeds of fowl is the fact that other chickens bones, later identified as being not only of a Red jungle Fowl type, but also a Malay-type fowl and another of intermediate size (possibly of similar build to an Asil), were found in northeast Thailand and dated around 3500 B.
C.
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