Which came 1st the chicken egg or chicken?

This is a classic philosophical riddle! Here's the breakdown:

* The Scientific Answer: The egg came first. Chickens evolved from a species that wasn't quite a chicken yet. That earlier bird laid an egg that contained a slightly different bird, one step closer to the modern chicken. Over many generations, those eggs continued to hatch slightly different birds, eventually leading to the chicken we know today.

* The Catch: The question is often interpreted as a trick question. Since chickens lay eggs, and chickens hatch from eggs, it seems like a circular problem.

The Real Point: The riddle highlights the complexity of evolution and how species change over time. It's not a simple "chicken or egg" situation, but a gradual process of genetic change.