Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Ancient DNA: Barnyard chickens living just a few hundred years ago looked far different from today's chickens


Date:
April 18, 2014

Source:
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)

Summary:
Ancient DNA adds a twist to the story of how barnyard chickens came to be. Analyzing DNA from the bones of chickens that lived 200-2,300 years ago in Europe, researchers report that some of the traits we associate with modern domestic chickens -- such as their yellowish skin -- only became widespread in the last 500 years, much more recently than previously thought.


No comments:

Post a Comment