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A new origin story for domesticated chickens starts in rice fields 3,500 years ago
Science News ^ | June 6, 2022 | Bruce Bower

Posted on 06/11/2022 6:26:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

The new story begins in Southeast Asian rice fields. The earliest known chicken remains come from Ban Non Wat, a dry rice–farming site in central Thailand that roughly dates to between 1650 B.C. and 1250 B.C. Dry rice farmers plant the crop on upland soil soaked by seasonal rains rather than in flooded fields or paddies. That would have made rice grains at Ban Non Wat fair game for avian ancestors of chickens.

These fields attracted hungry wild birds called red jungle fowl. Red jungle fowl increasingly fed on rice grains, and probably grains of another cereal crop called millet, grown by regional farmers, Peters’ group speculates. A cultivated familiarity with people launched chicken domestication by around 3,500 years ago, the researchers say.

Chickens did not arrive in central China, South Asia or Mesopotamian society in what’s now Iran and Iraq until nearly 3,000 years ago, the team estimates.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientnavigation; chicken; dietandcuisine; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; rice

1 posted on 06/11/2022 6:26:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 06/11/2022 6:29:07 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Bkmk chicken


3 posted on 06/11/2022 6:30:47 AM PDT by ptsal (Vote R.E.D. >>>Remove Every Democrat ***)
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To: SunkenCiv

They’re lucky to find chicken remains in Thailand at all. Thai dogs love chicken and eat them bones and all.


4 posted on 06/11/2022 6:32:25 AM PDT by markomalley (Directive 10-289 is in force in the US -- already gone Galt TYVM)
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To: SunkenCiv
My best friend reveres chickens to this day.

But that's just on weekends. Tuesday is Chicken French day.

5 posted on 06/11/2022 6:46:18 AM PDT by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: SunkenCiv

Conversely, two of the Hawaiian islands, Oahu and Kauai, have unintentionally become laboratories of chicken de-evolution.

Two hurricanes broke apart their coops and allowed them to run free in their respective jungles. Generations later they have become fully feral.

Hawaii’s feral chickens are, today, a genetic blend of Jungle Fowl, fighting birds, and a host of domestic breeds. Mostly they look like Jungle Fowl. They are small, quick, and adaptable. And quite noisy.


6 posted on 06/11/2022 7:34:43 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("All he had was a handgun. Why did you think that was a threat?" --Rittenhouse Prosecutor)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy
"Hawaii’s feral chickens are, today, a genetic blend of Jungle Fowl, fighting birds, and a host of domestic breeds. Mostly they look like Jungle Fowl. They are small, quick, and adaptable. And quite noisy."

But my question is how do they taste?
7 posted on 06/11/2022 7:41:03 AM PDT by Kartographer (“We Mutually Pledge To Each Other Our Lives, Our Fortunes And Our Sacred Honor”)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ever been to Ybor city or Key Weat before?

Dinner is all over those places. Just walking around.

5.56mm


8 posted on 06/11/2022 7:50:52 AM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho got to go.)
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To: M Kehoe

Key West damit.

I’ve got to get some new fingers.

5.56mm


9 posted on 06/11/2022 7:52:07 AM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho got to go.)
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To: Kartographer
"But my question is how do they taste?"

A little like spotted owl.


10 posted on 06/11/2022 8:03:29 AM PDT by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches anything.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Chicken and rice, a combo 3500 years old!

CC


11 posted on 06/11/2022 8:15:59 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: SunkenCiv

The original joke is why did the chicken cross the rice field?


12 posted on 06/11/2022 8:16:52 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Kartographer

Not good, fresh from the jungle. The locals make them more palatable by catching them and feeding them chicken food for a couple of weeks. I imagine cooking them with a LOT of spices, as jerk chicken or chicken adobo, is probably the preferred method.

If you are used to American A&P chicken, it has much less flavor than do “heritage chickens”.

https://modernfarmer.com/2014/05/today-eating-winners-1948-chicken-tomorrow-contest/

Today We’re Eating the Winners of the 1948 Chicken of Tomorrow Contest.

People living today who used to eat heritage chicken find A&P chicken distasteful by comparison.

So, before trying to eat Hawaiian feral chicken, I would suggest having a go with heritage chicken first. You might find it delectable, or you might find it gamey.


13 posted on 06/11/2022 8:28:28 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("All he had was a handgun. Why did you think that was a threat?" --Rittenhouse Prosecutor)
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To: SunkenCiv

Another grain crop called millet…. What a moron. Like we have never heard of millet. Bread is made from flour which is a grain called wheat, finely ground. Asian people eat a diet which consists larger of a grain called rice. Beer is made from a grain called barley. A grain called millet is used in a lot of multigrain breads as well as being a primary ingredient in bird seed and food for pet rodents.


14 posted on 06/11/2022 8:45:05 AM PDT by webheart (I thought I was helping by getting vaccinated but they say I didn’t help at all. )
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To: SunkenCiv

Everyone knows that chicken did not arrive at the family kitchen table until Tyson started delivering cash laden envelopes to Governor Bill Clinton.


15 posted on 06/11/2022 1:41:09 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: SunkenCiv

And a new company was born..................

16 posted on 06/13/2022 5:07:31 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: webheart

And whiskey comes from a grain called corn..................


17 posted on 06/13/2022 5:08:36 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: blam
Missing puzzle piece for the origins of domestic chickens | Min-Sheng Peng | Jian-Lin Han | and Ya-Ping Zhang | October 24, 2022
Missing puzzle piece for the origins of domestic chickens | Min-Sheng Peng | Jian-Lin Han | and Ya-Ping Zhang | October 24, 2022

18 posted on 11/12/2022 7:03:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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