Dr
E.S.Higgs
35 Planton Place - Cambridge - England
12-8-1980
Dear
Dr Higgs,
Over
the past few years I have been doing private research on the origin, evolution
and distribution of the domestic chicken.
I
do not have an academic background but have found the subject both interesting
and challenging though at times frustrating as information available appears
to be somewhat scanty.
I
have gathered together quite a deal of material and have formed some
conclusions although somewhat at the moment of a hypothetical nature due to
the lack of positive evidence.
I
have made contact with a number of people who work in the fields of
anthropology and archaeology who have been most helpful but find there are
still a lot of gaps to fill.
In
a recent letter from Pat Rich of the Department of Earth Sciences at the
Monash University in Melbourne she advised me that it may be a good idea to
make contact with you as you have done much archaeological work in the Middle
East with emphasis on domestic animals.
Therefore
I felt that perhaps over recent times during your work you may have unearthed
chicken bones which may throw some light on the evolution and distribution of
the domestic chicken. If so any information which could assist my research
would be most appreciated.
I
do have papers written by Coltherd and have written on the chicken in the
Middle East. You may have further to add which may have occurred since those
papers were written.
My
belief is that there are 3 species or sub-species of the domestic chicken,
i.e. the Bankivoids, Malay and Asiatics (Cochin, Brahma, Langshan). These 3
groups being mostly different in so many aspects that it is hand to believe
that these differences came only as mutations.
Charles
Darwin suggested all domestic chickens had as progenitor only Gallus
Bankiva (Red Jungle Fowl). I have based my thoughts on the evidence put
forward by Finsterbusch (1929) wherein he described the differences in bone
structure between the Bankivoids and the Malay, the first being a flyer, the
other a runner.
I
do not have information on the bone structure of the Asiatics except from
Darwin’s narration of Plants and Animals under domestication where he states
that the shapes of the occipital foramen between Bankiva and the Cochin (Asiatics)
shows a remarkable difference. Further he admits that if any of the varieties
of the chicken come from a different ancestor to Bankiva it could have been
the Cochin.
Unfortunately
at this time of writings Darwin was not aware of the work of Mendel in
genetics. If he had I presume come of his views may have been modified
especially in the field of mixing colours. Through our knowledge now of
genetics we can in many cases predict the result when putting together 2
colours in our domestic chickens.
My
belief is that perhaps an extinct ancestor was responsible for the chickens we
have today, the 3 species or sub-species afore mentioned emerging along the
way. There still appears to be no evidence as to the origin of Gallus
Bankiva itself. Therefore I feel the information much come from persons
such as yourself (archaeologists, anthropologists) through discoveries made
during excavations.
I
am very interested in the distribution also of the chicken. My belief in this
field was that whilst the chicken moved west from India through Persia, Egypt
and eventually across the Atlantic to the Americas hence into the Pacific, it
also moved in an easterly direction through the islands of the Indies also
into the Pacific. Thor Heyerdahl’s voyages certainly proved that the
westerly drift could have crossed the Atlantic but of course there does not
appear as yet any positive evidence of this occurrence.
If
however through your work you have unearthed any chicken bones I would only be
too pleased to send you a copy of Finsterbusch’s findings on the differences
of bone structure for comparison with anything you may have unearthed. Any
information, suggestion or advice on thus I might follow in my research I can
assure you would be very much appreciated. I hope in the not too distant
future to put together some notes on the material I have and some appreciated
conclusions I have assumed. Lack of positive evidence however is one of the
difficulties surrounding these conclusions.
Sincerely
yours,