Chickens are evolving 15 TIMES faster than expected:

Dailymail.co.uk ^ | 27 October 2015 | By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

[Fred Nerks]

Scientists discover the birds have developed two mutations in just 50 years Genes of White Plymouth Rock chickens mutated twice in 50 years Scientists previously thought rate of change in mitochondrial genomes was never faster than about two per cent per million years Mutations suggest rate of evolution in the chickens is 15 times faster Study goes against theory evolution can only be seen over long periods

[Fred Nerks]

Scientists have proved poultry is evolving faster than ever thought possible and that the genes of White Plymouth Rock chickens (two shown above) have mutated twice within a period of just half a century

[Fred Nerks]

should start the feathers flying...

[bramps]

Let me know when one becomes a wolf.

[Fungi]

Evolving into what? A chicken into a chicken with a few different chicken characteristics. Nothing to see here despite what a few would say......

[central_va]

Chickens are domestic animals, so do they count?

[cripplecreek]

They have plenty of help.

[Olog-hai]

Scientists discover the birds have developed two mutations in just 50 years …

And that is where the science stops.

[Lazamataz]

I, for one, welcome our new Chicken Overlords.

And I would remind them, as an experienced forum participant, I can craft amusing and informative posts that will help them round up humans to toil in their vast chicken-feed yards.

[P.O.E.]

[cripplecreek]

[Olog-hai]

Some people are expecting them to start looking like cockatrices, I would surmise.

[Hugin]

Punctuated equilibrium.

[central_va]

Genius.

[smokingfrog]

It's called selective breeding.

[Vigilanteman]

The other question which should be asked is that do chickens actually evolve if they are intentionally bred with the best characteristics. Chicken breeding is a great hobby and/or profession because results can be produced in a relatively short time. They can go from just hatched to laying eggs in as little as five months, meaning you can get to the sixth generation in as little as three years.

[Zeneta]

I eat more Chicken than any man ever seen.

[tacticalogic]

Let me know when one becomes a wolf.

Or when the find chicken fossils in with the trilobites.

[exDemMom]

Scientists discover the birds have developed two mutations in just 50 years Genes of White Plymouth Rock chickens mutated twice in 50 years

Oh, my. Considering that DNA mutates randomly and spontaneously all the time, and that only the presence of redundant DNA repair mechanisms keeps the DNA relatively unchanged... I would say that whoever wrote this has the level of scientific knowledge one would expect from a high school student who only took the biology class because it was a graduation requirement, and barely passed it.

On average, there are 150-200 DNA mutations per offspring that did not exist in either parent. And chicken generations are awfully short--whoever said that there were only 2 mutations in the last 50 years probably does not have a functional DNA sequencer.

[crosdaddy]

Howlin

[max americana]

Does this mean they taste 15 times more delicious when roasted?