farming into southeast

Asia where their wild

ancestor, the red jungle
fowl, lived. Dry rice
farming acted as a
magnet drawing wild
jungle fowl down from
Question Corner the trees, and
kickstarting a closer
Domestic chicken relationship between
people and the jungle
When and where were fowl that resulted in
chickens chickens, according to a
domesticated? University of Exeter
press release.
New findings transform This domestication
our understanding of the process was underway
circumstances and by around 1,500 BC in
timing of the the Southeast Asia
domestication of peninsula. The research
chickens and their suggests that chickens
spread across Asia into were then transported
the West. Researchers first across Asia and then
have found that an throughout the
association with rice Mediterranean along
farming likely started a routes used by early
process that has led to Greek, Etruscan and
chickens becoming one Phoenician maritime
of the world’s most traders.
numerous animals. The international team
Previous efforts have of experts re-evaluated
claimed that chickens chicken remains found in
were domesticated up to more than 600 sites in
10,000 years ago in 89 countries.
China, Southeast Asia, or The oldest bones of a
India, and that chickens definite domestic
were present in Europe chicken were found at
over 7,000 years ago. Neolithic Ban Non Wat in
The new studies show central Thailand, and
that this is wrong, and date to between 1,650
that the driving force and 1,250 BC.
behind chicken
Readers may send their
domestication was the questions / answers to
arrival of dry rice questioncorner@thehindu.co.in