A Chicken

                  We all know the tender smooth texture of the white meat called 'chicken', but its origins are rarely ever pondered.

                  The modern chicken did not evolve from a sole progenitor, in fact, scientists have identified three closely related species. The wild ancestor, though, is called the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), which is still wild in most of southeast Asia. They are excellent browsers that fly up to their nest in the trees, but that's the most flying their wings can manage. The earliest archaeological evidence of a domesticated chicken dates back to around 5400 BC China, then in the Indus Valley by about 2000 BC. From there, it arrived in Egypt, where the Egyptians mastered the complex technique of artificial incubation which involved hundreds of 'ovens' heated by fire from straw and camel dung. Around 800 BC, chicken meat became a delicacy to the Roman Republic, with recipes like the omelet and stuffed chicken. The Romans, in their new-found love, invented numerous ways to fatten the birds – wheat bread soaked in wine, feeding a mixture of cumin seeds, barley, and lizard fat, or castrating a cock, among others. The Romans' indulgence in the fowl led to regulations limiting chicken consumption and an outlaw of such practices, being concerned about moral decay and the pursuit of excessive luxury. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the chicken's popularity went downhill, and medieval dinner tables preferred hardier fowl such as geese and partridge. Now, at the turn of the century, chicken's have come back with full force, adorning plates all over the world.

                  Despite the worldwide popularity of chicken meat -- whether it be deep-fried, baked or stuffed -- the chicken was first bred for cockfighting, not eating. The rooster is naturally armed with a bony leg spur, which is often supplemented by metal spurs and small knives. In the ancient Greek city of Pergamum stands a cockfighting amphitheater to teach honor and valor to learning soldiers. Over the many years and changing cultures, however, the modern chicken has grown more docile and gentle. They are great pets and can be affectionate for human contact. That is not to say they are not agressive – often breeders remark that they are "betters mousers than the cats". Chickens also do not come in the standard white overweight plumage; there are countless breeds adapted to the climate of their new homes or selectively bred for certain qualities. One such Canadian breed is the Chantecler, bred for hardiness and resistance to the cold. Similary breeds, though bred elsewhere, are the Olandsk Dwarf and Swedish Flower Hen from Sweden. Breeds such as the Cream Legbar were bred for their auto-sexing plumage of day-old chicks, while the Polish Chicken was bred for exhibitions. According to its nature, the Sumatra Chicken was bred for fighting on the Indonesian Isles of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Among the exotic types are the Silkie Chickens, also called the "wool-bearing chickens" by an Italian explorer, and posessing gray-black meat. The word 'chicken', that too often reminds us of the crispy goodness of KFC, cannot be limited to such a box. These birds are far from just a piece of tasteless breast meat, but a complex lineage of animals with a rich history.