Scientists from the University of Sheffield and the University of Warwick claim they may have finally solved the age-old question after decades of discussion. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Their research points to the special protein called OVOCLEIDIN-17 or OC-17 as the answer. Which plays a key role in the formation of eggshells. This protein is found only in chickens. Since eggshells can’t form without OC-17 and only chickens produce it, researchers say this proves that a chicken came first. With the discovery, science may have finally solved one of the world’s oldest and most puzzling mysteries.
Role of a unique protein
The study focused on OC-17, a protein exclusively found in the hen’s ovaries. This protein has an important role in the formation of the eggshell by transforming calcium carbonate into the hard protective layer that shields the egg. Without this step, an egg wouldn’t have a proper shell. What makes OC-17 special is that it exists only in chickens. That means that an egg with shells can only be formed inside the chicken’s body. No other animal makes this protein. So, if you need a chicken to make a proper egg, the chicken must come first.
A scientific end to the debate
This new research gives strong scientific support to a question that has been asked for centuries. While people have long debated which came first, this finding gives a clear answer based on biology. This protein-based discovery led scientists to conclude that the chicken had to come before the egg. If the egg requires OC-17 to exist and this protein can only be made by chickens, then logically, the first chicken must have produced the first hard-shelled egg. While evolutionary traditions may have evolved chickens. The presence of OC-17 makes it clear that the modern egg couldn’t have come first.