Dr
Stanley J. Olsen - Dept of Anthropology
University of Arizona - Tucson
11-8-1980
Dear
Dr Olsen,
For
some little time I have been carrying out private research in the field of the
evolution, history and distribution of the domestic fowl in the hope that I
can unearth some information and facts relating to this subject. I have found
it very challenging though frustrating but have collected quite a deal of
material and also formed some conclusions which however at the moment are
somewhat hypothetical although a few leads I have do indicate that more
definite conclusions may be arrived at a later date.
I
do not have an academic background but have breed Bantam Chickens for some
years and became interested their history etc which does appear to be somewhat
clouded. I first began researching the Cochin or Pekin Bantam which led me
further into the subject and I have become quite absorbed in the study.
It
has been for me necessary contact people such as yourself who have studied
anthropology, palaeonthology etc in depth in my quest for some positive
evidence in this field. I have received heartening support from a number of
persons who have assisted where possible.
In
a recent letter from Pat Rich of the Earth Sciences Department, Monash
University in Melbourne, it was suggested that I contact you as Mr Rich made
reference to you in his and Rita Berra’s article in a recent issue of the
Australian Museum magazine; the article: Bird
history, the first one hundred millions of years.
I
have also had correspondence with Professor Ostrom of Yale University who very
kindly sent me some of his papers on Archæopteryx etc. I feel that the
answers to question of evolution, history and distribution of the chicken must
eventually come from people such as yourself, anthropologists and archaeologists.
I
have felt for some time that the distribution of the domestic chicken is
closely related to the movement of man himself as I guess it would be in order
to presume that where man went, his domestic animals went with him?
However,
the chicken being what it is, of a frail nature (bone wise) and perhaps fed to
other animals it follows that probably little evidence has been of them
amongst the excavations.
However
I have been advised by Mr Specht Curator of anthropology at the Australian
Museum in Sydney that chicken bone was unearthed at Watom Island, New Britain,
and from Professor Higham of the Otago University in New Zealand I have
received papers of the findings in NE Thailand also of chicken bones.
Following
on the evidence of Finsterbusch (1929) who over many years made a study of
Game Fowl it would be interesting to learn the exact nature of these birds.
Finsterbusch put forward the argument that instead of all the domestic chicken
be descending from the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus
Bankiva ) there were in fact 2 species or subspecies, Bankiva being one
and the Malay fowl the other, both perhaps stemming from a common perhaps
extinct ancestor.
Charles
Darwin suggested that all chicken descended solely from Bankiva. With all
credit to Darwin, he was not aware of Mendel’s discoveries in the field of
genetics. As Finsterbusch suggests there are so many differences between the
Bankivoids and the Malays it becomes hard to believe that the differences were
only caused by mutation. Finsterbusch also presented evidence that the bone
structure between the Bankivoids and the Malays was also quite different, one
being a flyer, the other a runner.
I
am inclined to go one step further in that I believe that another species or
subspecies could also be added, that is the Asiatics (Cochin, Brahma and
Langshan). They are so much different again from the other two mentioned. Mr
Specht advised that he is hoping to get hold of the chicken bone from Watom
Island and perhaps identify it from Finsterbusch’s account. I am hoping
Professor Higham may do the same with the bones from NE Thailand. If this can
be done it may provide a lead as from whence they came and also who brought
them.
Therefore
I thought perhaps you may be able to give me some advice on recent papers on
the subject and also advise me on what avenues I should explore in my search
for further information on the subject. Any assistance I can assure you would
be very much appreciated. I hope in the not too distant future to put together
notes from the material I have obtained together with conclusions I have
formed.
I
am quite interested in the distribution situation. I don’t think it has been
definitely decided with regard to pre-Columbian in the Americas but Thor
Heyerdahl certainly proved that it could have been possible.
However
I will be interested to receive any advice from you on the subject.
Sincerely
yours,