Little-by-little, mutation after mutation single celled became multicelled and fish become chicken. There is no special point at which you can say: before it is fish, now it is chicken (or pre-chicken). Gradual process of back-and-forth changes of genotype due to random mutations and survival lucks. So, I do not think that some pterodactile laid egg which was struck by energetic cosmic ray (or other mutagene factor) to modify its DNA to such degree that it gave birth to chicken. Gradual and little-by-little changes. So, in chain of various intermediate shapes from that ptero- to a modern chicken YOU can define where "chicken" starts. And YOU define where to break the long chain "...egg-adult-egg-adult-egg-adult..." to start calling it "chicken chain" (versus "ptero chain" before): in EGG-ADULT link or in ADULT-EGG link. Then in first case EGG is first, in the second ADULT chicken is first.

Because there is NO sharp criteria to prefer any definite place, the question is senseless.

If you have 10^5 hairs, are you bald yet? Probably not - this is about how much hair average person has. How about 10^4, or 10^3? Or 2001 hair? Is someone having 9853 hair bald yet?

• I think you misunderstood the question, Alex - pmartin - September 11, 2001 - 00:04 UTC
  • Hold right here. And where did those eggs come from? - alexander - September 11, 2001 - 00:20 UTC
    • Correction. - alexander - September 11, 2001 - 00:22 UTC
      • Look at it this way - pmartin - September 11, 2001 - 00:44 UTC
        • That's a pretty slippery way of doing it :) - stormcrow - September 11, 2001 - 00:49 UTC
          • Well,definitely "eggs in general"were well before chicken specie - alexander - September 11, 2001 - 00:59 UTC
            • Thank you Alex! - doctordick - September 11, 2001 - 02:16 UTC
• No Wonder... - rggarfinkle - September 11, 2001 - 06:18 UTC