56-525: Erythrina variegata , commonly known as tiger's claw or Indian coral tree , is a species of Erythrina native to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Africa, the Indian subcontinent , northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to Fiji . E. variegata is a thorny deciduous tree growing to 27 m (89 ft) tall. The leaves are pinnate with
112-528: A chick , as in William Shakespeare 's play Macbeth , where Macduff laments the death of "all my pretty chickens and their dam". The usage is preserved in placenames such as the Hen and Chicken Islands . In older sources, and still often in trade and scientific contexts, chickens as a species are described as common fowl or domestic fowl . Chickens are relatively large birds , active by day . The body
168-521: A mutation that causes extra feathering under the face, giving the appearance of a beard. Chickens are omnivores . In the wild, they scratch at the soil to search for seeds, insects, and animals as large as lizards , small snakes, and young mice . A chicken may live for 5–10 years, depending on the breed . The world's oldest known chicken lived for 16 years. Chickens are gregarious , living in flocks , and incubate eggs and raise young communally. Individual chickens dominate others, establishing
224-412: A pecking order ; dominant individuals take priority for access to food and nest sites. The concept of dominance, involving pecking, was described in female chickens by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe in 1921 as the "pecking order". Male chickens tend to leap and use their claws in conflicts. Chickens are capable of mobbing and killing a weak or inexperienced predator, such as a young fox. A male's crowing
280-519: A 20 cm (7.9 in) petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long and broad. It has dense clusters of scarlet or crimson flowers and black seeds . Notably, crows have been observed contributing to the pollination of the Indian coral tree by feeding on its nectar-rich flowers. Erythrina variegata is valued as an ornamental tree . Several cultivars have been selected, including 'Alba' with white flowers. In Vietnam,
336-398: A boat or spade shape and curve backwards from the stem while the bottom petals enclose its stamens; both together make almost a butterfly shape. Not all of them flower in just bright red; the wiliwili ( E. sandwicensis ) has extraordinary variation in its flower colour, with orange, yellow, salmon, green and white all being found within natural populations. This striking color polymorphism
392-458: A decline in GnRH-I-N. Hens often try to lay in nests that already contain eggs and sometimes move eggs from neighbouring nests into their own. A flock thus uses only a few preferred locations, rather than having a different nest for every bird. Under natural conditions, most birds lay only until a clutch is complete; they then incubate all the eggs. This is called "going broody ". The hen sits on
448-426: A gene for yellow skin, for instance, was incorporated into domestic birds from the grey junglefowl ( G. sonneratii ). It is estimated that chickens share between 71 and 79% of their genome with red junglefowl. According to one early study, a single domestication event of the red junglefowl in present-day Thailand gave rise to the modern chicken with minor transitions separating the modern breeds. The red junglefowl
504-507: A greater affinity for oxygen, binding oxygen more readily. Fertile chicken eggs hatch at the end of the incubation period, about 21 days; the chick uses its egg tooth to break out of the shell. Hens remain on the nest for about two days after the first chick hatches; during this time the newly hatched chicks feed by absorbing the internal yolk sac . The hen guards her chicks and broods them to keep them warm. She leads them to food and water and calls them towards food. The chicks imprint on
560-467: A hen (a circle dance), often lowering the wing which is closest to the hen. The dance triggers a response in the hen and when she responds to his call, the rooster may mount the hen and proceed with the mating. Mating typically involves a sequence in which the male approaches the female and performs a waltzing display. If the female is unreceptive, she runs off; otherwise, she crouches, and the male mounts, treading with both feet on her back. After copulation
616-746: A mosaic of divergent ancestries inherited from subspecies of red junglefowl. A word for the domestic chicken ( *manuk ) is part of the reconstructed Proto-Austronesian language , indicating they were domesticated by the Austronesian peoples since ancient times. Chickens, together with dogs and pigs, were carried throughout the entire range of the prehistoric Austronesian maritime migrations to Island Southeast Asia , Micronesia , Island Melanesia , Polynesia , and Madagascar , starting from at least 3000 BC from Taiwan . These chickens might have been introduced during pre-Columbian times to South America via Polynesian seafarers, but evidence for this
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#1733085667419672-646: A sacred rooster, often during a ritual cockfight , used as a form of communication with the gods. In Gabriel García Márquez 's Nobel-Prize-winning 1967 novel One Hundred Years Of Solitude , cockfighting is outlawed in the town of Macondo after the patriarch of the Buendia family murders his cockfighting rival and is haunted by the man's ghost. Chicken jokes have been made at least since The Knickerbocker published one in 1847. Chickens have been featured in art in farmyard scenes such as Adriaen van Utrecht 's 1646 Turkeys and Chickens and Walter Osborne 's 1885 Feeding
728-478: A single domestication event of red junglefowl whose present-day distribution is predominantly in southwestern China, northern Thailand and Myanmar. These domesticated chickens spread across Southeast and South Asia where they interbred with local wild species of junglefowl, forming genetically and geographically distinct groups. Analysis of the most popular commercial breed shows that the White Leghorn breed possesses
784-557: A vector for bacterial diseases such as salmonellosis and spirochaetosis . Viral diseases include avian influenza . Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23.7 billion as of 2018 . More than 50 billion chickens are reared annually as a source of meat and eggs. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and more than 300 million chickens are reared for egg production. The vast majority of poultry
840-611: Is a contest held in a ring called a cockpit between two cocks. Cockfighting is outlawed in many countries as involving cruelty to animals . The activity seems to have been practised in the Indus Valley civilisation from 2500 to 2100 BC. In the process of domestication, chickens were apparently kept initially for cockfighting, and only later used for food. Chickens have long been used as model organisms to study developing embryos. Large numbers of embryos can be provided commercially; fertilized eggs can easily be opened and used to observe
896-604: Is a large and round short-winged bird , domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs ; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting . Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 26.5 billion as of 2023 , and an annual production of more than 50 billion birds. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. There are numerous cultural references to chickens in folklore, religion, and literature. Terms for chickens include: Chicken can mean
952-409: Is a loud and sometimes shrill call, serving as a territorial signal to other males, and in response to sudden disturbances within their surroundings. Hens cluck loudly after laying an egg and to call their chicks. Chickens give different warning calls to indicate that a predator is approaching from the air or on the ground. To initiate courting, some roosters may dance in a circle around or near
1008-449: Is also found in Erythrina lysistemon and Erythrina afra . All species except the sterile hybrids E. × sykesii and E. × bidwillii have legume -type fruit, sometimes called pods, containing one or more seeds. The resilient buoyant seeds are often carried by the sea for large distances and are commonly called " sea beans ". Erythrina leaves are used as food plants by
1064-442: Is another vernacular name, but may refer to a number of unrelated plants as well. Many species of Erythrina have bright red flowers, and this may be the origin of the common name. However, the growth of the branches can resemble the shape of sea coral rather than the color of Corallium rubrum specifically, and this is an alternative source for the name. Other popular names, usually local and particular to distinct species, liken
1120-592: Is inhumane towards sentient animals . Advocates of intensive farming say that their efficient systems save land and food resources owing to increased productivity, and that the animals are looked after in a controlled environment. Chickens farmed for meat are called broilers . Broiler breeds typically take less than six weeks to reach slaughter size, some weeks longer for free range and organic broilers. Chickens farmed primarily for eggs are called layer hens. The UK alone consumes more than 34 million eggs per day. Hens of some breeds can produce over 300 eggs per year;
1176-468: Is raised in factory farms . According to the Worldwatch Institute , 74% of the world's poultry meat and 68% of eggs are produced this way. An alternative to intensive poultry farming is free-range farming. Friction between these two main methods has led to long-term issues of ethical consumerism . Opponents of intensive farming argue that it harms the environment, creates human health risks and
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#17330856674191232-489: Is round, the legs are unfeathered in most breeds, and the wings are short. Wild junglefowl can fly ; chickens and their flight muscles are too heavy to allow them to fly more than a short distance. Size and coloration vary widely between breeds. Adult chickens of both sexes have a fleshy crest on their heads called a comb or cockscomb, and hanging flaps of skin on either side under their beaks called wattles ; combs and wattles are more prominent in males . Some breeds have
1288-629: Is still putative. The possibility that domestic chickens were in the Americas before Western contact is debated by researchers, but blue-egged chickens, found only in the Americas and Asia, suggest an Asian origin for early American chickens. A lack of data from Thailand, Russia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa makes it difficult to lay out a clear map of the spread of chickens in these areas; better description and genetic analysis of local breeds threatened by extinction may also help with research into this area. Chicken bones from
1344-513: Is supplemented by mentions in historical texts from the last few centuries BC, and by depictions in prehistoric artworks, such as across Central Asia. Chickens were widespread throughout southern Central Asia by the 4th century BC. Middle Eastern chicken remains go back to a little earlier than 2000 BC in Syria . Phoenicians spread chickens along the Mediterranean coasts as far as Iberia. During
1400-426: Is well adapted to take advantage of the vast quantities of seed produced during the end of the multi-decade bamboo seeding cycle , to boost its own reproduction. In domesticating the chicken, humans took advantage of the red junglefowl's ability to reproduce prolifically when exposed to a surge in its food supply. Exactly when and where the chicken was domesticated remains controversial. Genomic studies estimate that
1456-540: The Arauco Peninsula in south-central Chile were radiocarbon dated as pre-Columbian, and DNA analysis suggested they were related to prehistoric populations in Polynesia. However, further study of the same bones cast doubt on the findings. Chicken remains have been difficult to date, given the small and fragile bird bones; this may account for discrepancies in dates given by different sources. Archaeological evidence
1512-660: The Bengal region, they are used for the same purpose in Schumannianthus dichotoma plantations. E. lanceolata in particular is considered highly suitable as "frame" tree for vanilla vines to grow up on. Native Hawaiians made a number of items from wiliwili wood because of its low density, such as mouo ( fishing net floats), ama ( outrigger canoe floats, and extremely long papa heʻe nalu ( surfboards ) called olo . Olo , which averaged 18 feet (5.5 m), were exclusively ridden by aliʻi (royalty). The wood
1568-631: The Galliformes , the order of bird that chickens belong to, survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event that killed all tree-dwelling birds and their dinosaur relatives. Chickens are descended primarily from the red junglefowl ( Gallus gallus ) and are scientifically classified as the same species. Domesticated chickens freely interbreed with populations of red junglefowl. The domestic chicken has subsequently hybridised with grey junglefowl , Sri Lankan junglefowl and green junglefowl ;
1624-609: The Hellenistic period (4th–2nd centuries BC), in the southern Levant , chickens began to be widely domesticated for food. The first pictures of chickens in Europe are found on Corinthian pottery of the 7th century BC. Breeding increased under the Roman Empire and reduced in the Middle Ages . Genetic sequencing of chicken bones from archaeological sites in Europe revealed that in
1680-751: The High Middle Ages chickens became less aggressive and began to lay eggs earlier in the breeding season. Chickens reached Egypt via the Middle East for purposes of cockfighting about 1400 BC and became widely bred in Egypt around 300 BC. Three possible routes of introduction into Africa around the early first millennium AD could have been through the Egyptian Nile Valley, the East Africa Roman-Greek or Indian trade, or from Carthage and
1736-644: The Northern Territory of Australia. In Vietnam , people use the leaves of E. variegata to wrap nem chua (a kind of fermented pork wrapped in banana leaves). Horticultural hybrids : Growing, selling or possessing Erythrina spp. except for ornamental purposes, is prohibited by Louisiana State Act 159 (where the genus is misspelled Erythina ); the Act covers various known, suspected, or rumored hallucinogenic plants. Rooster Gallus domesticus L. The chicken ( Gallus domesticus )
Erythrina variegata - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-497: The black-throated ( Anthracothorax nigricollis ) and green-breasted mangos ( A. prevostii ) – though they seem not to be especially fond of E. speciosa at least, which they visit rather opportunistically. In Southeast Asia , the black drongo ( Dicrurus macrocercus ) which usually does not eat nectar in quantity has been observed feeding on E. suberosa flowers, and mynas and of course more specialized nectar feeders also utilize coral tree flowers. Lorikeets such as
1848-423: The collared lory ( Phigys solitarius ) and the possibly extinct New Caledonian lorikeet ( Charmosyna diadema ) are known to consume (or have consumed) large amounts of Erythrina nectar. Some coral trees are used widely in the tropics and subtropics as street and park trees, especially in drier areas. In some places, such as Venezuela , bucaré s are used as shade trees for coffee or cocoa crops. In
1904-494: The larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the swift moth Endoclita damor and the woolly bears Hypercompe eridanus and Hypercompe icasia . The mite Tydeus munsteri is a pest on the coastal coral tree ( E. afra ). Many birds visit the nectar -rich Erythrina flowers. In the Neotropics , these are usually larger hummingbirds , for example the swallow-tailed hummingbird ( Eupetomena macroura ) and
1960-524: The Berbers, across the Sahara . The earliest known remains are from Mali , Nubia , East Coast, and South Africa and date back to the middle of the first millennium AD. Chickens are susceptible both to parasites such as mites , and to diseases caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses . The parasite Dermanyssus gallinae feeds on blood, causing irritation and reducing egg production, and acts as
2016-479: The UK and Europe, laying hens are then slaughtered and used in processed foods, or sold as 'soup hens'. In some other countries, flocks are sometimes force moulted rather than being slaughtered to re-invigorate egg-laying. This involves complete withdrawal of food (and sometimes water) for 7–14 days or sufficiently long to cause a body weight loss of 25 to 35%, or up to 28 days under experimental conditions. This stimulates
2072-409: The bark, the seeds were used to stupefy fish, making them easier to catch. The Formosan aboriginal Puyuma tribe carve a mortar called a taur from the trunk of the tree. It is used for pounding sticky rice that is later to be steamed. E. variegata was designated the official flower of Okinawa Prefecture in 1967. The deigo flower features in the popular song " Shima Uta " by The Boom , one of
2128-425: The chicken genome is similarly sized compared to other birds, but smaller than nearly all mammals: the human genome is 3.2 Gb . The final gene set contained 26,640 genes (including noncoding genes and pseudogenes ), with a total of 19,119 protein-coding genes, a similar number to the human genome. In 2006, scientists researching the ancestry of birds switched on a chicken recessive gene , talpid2 , and found that
2184-456: The chicken was domesticated 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and spread to China and India 2,000 to 3,000 years later. Archaeological evidence supports domestic chickens in Southeast Asia well before 6000 BC, China by 6000 BC and India by 2000 BC. A landmark 2020 Nature study that fully sequenced 863 chickens across the world suggests that all domestic chickens originate from
2240-446: The developing embryo. Equally important, embryologists can carry out experiments on such embryos, close the egg again and study the effects later in development. For instance, many important discoveries in limb development have been made using chicken embryos, such as the discovery of the apical ectodermal ridge and the zone of polarizing activity . The chicken was the first bird species to have its genome sequenced. At 1.21 Gb ,
2296-406: The embryo jaws initiated formation of teeth, like those found in ancient bird fossils. Chickens are featured widely in folklore , religion , literature , and popular culture. The chicken is a sacred animal in many cultures and deeply embedded in belief systems and religious practices. Roosters are sometimes used for divination , a practice called alectryomancy. This involves the sacrifice of
Erythrina variegata - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-537: The flowers' red hues to those of a male chicken 's wattles , and/or the flower shape to its leg spurs. Commonly seen Spanish names for any local species are bucaré , frejolillo or porotillo , and in Afrikaans some are called kafferboom (from the species name Erythrina caffra ). Mullumurikku is a widespread name in Kerala . A flower of most known Erythrina species is made of long top petals that fold into
2408-490: The hen and subsequently follow her continually. She continues to care for them until they are several weeks old. Inbreeding of White Leghorn chickens tends to cause inbreeding depression expressed as reduced egg number and delayed sexual maturity. Strongly inbred Langshan chickens display obvious inbreeding depression in reproduction, particularly for traits such as age when the first egg is laid and egg number. Water or ground-dwelling fowl similar to modern partridges , in
2464-949: The hen to lose her feathers but also re-invigorates egg-production. Some flocks may be force-moulted several times. In 2003, more than 75% of all flocks were moulted in the US. Keeping chickens as pets became increasingly popular in the 2000s among urban and suburban residents. Many people obtain chickens for their egg production but often name them and treat them as any other pet like cats or dogs. Chickens provide companionship and have individual personalities. While many do not cuddle much, they will eat from one's hand, jump onto one's lap, respond to and follow their handlers, as well as show affection. Chickens are social, inquisitive, intelligent birds, and many people find their behaviour entertaining. Certain breeds, such as silkies and many bantam varieties, are generally docile and are often recommended as good pets around children with disabilities. A cockfight
2520-418: The highest authenticated rate of egg laying is 371 eggs in 364 days. After 12 months of laying, the commercial hen's egg-laying ability declines to the point where the flock is commercially unviable. Hens, particularly from battery cage systems, are sometimes infirm or have lost a significant amount of their feathers, and their life expectancy has been reduced from around seven years to less than two years. In
2576-464: The larger species growing up to 30 m (98 ft) in height. These species are known for their large flowers with long and bright red or orange petals. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ερυθρóς erythros , meaning "red", referring to the flower color of certain species. Particularly in horticulture , the name coral tree is used as a collective term for these plants. Flame tree
2632-619: The latter species is also one of the thong ("trees") referred to in the name of Amphoe Chom Thong, Chiang Mai Province . In a similar vein, Zumpahuacán in Mexico derives its name from Nahuatl tzompahuacá , "place of the Erythrina americana ". In Hinduism , the mandāra tree in Indra 's garden in Svarga is held to be E. stricta . The same motif is found in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism , where
2688-490: The leaves are used to wrap fermented meat ( Vietnamese : nem ). E. variegata is known as dapdap in many languages of the Philippines where its bark and leaves are used in alternative medicine. E. variegata is often used in agroforestry systems. It can be used for fodder as its foliage has a good nutritive value for most livestock. The seeds are poisonous in their raw state but can be cooked and eaten. Along with
2744-614: The male does a tail-bending display. Sperm transfer occurs by cloacal contact between the male and female, in an action called the 'cloacal kiss'. As with all birds, reproduction is controlled by a neuroendocrine system, the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-I neurons in the hypothalamus . Reproductive hormones including estrogen , progesterone , and gonadotropins ( luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone ) initiate and maintain sexual maturation changes. Reproduction declines with age, thought to be due to
2800-788: The mandāravā ( Tib. man dā ra ba ) growing in Sukhāvatī is identified as an Indian coral tree ( E. variegata ). The concept of the Five Trees of Paradise is also found in Christian Gnosticism . Though as none of the trees is identified as an Erythrina here, the concept might not be as directly related to the Asian religions as some presume. The seeds of at least one-third of the species contain potent erythrina alkaloids , and some of these are used for medicinal and other purposes by indigenous peoples. They are all toxic to some degree, however, and
2856-533: The most well-known songs associated with Okinawa. In addition, the use of the wood of the deigo tree is one of the unique characteristics of Ryukyuan lacquerware . In Sri Lanka, the blossoming flowers of the tree are associated with the advent of the Sri Lankan (April) New Year. This plant is known as Erabadu ( Sinhala : එරබදු) in Sinhalese. In Fiji —known as drala , drara or rara — its flowering season marks
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#17330856674192912-462: The nest, fluffing up or pecking defensively if disturbed. She rarely leaves the nest until the eggs have hatched. Eggs of chickens from the high-altitude region of Tibet have special physiological adaptations that result in a higher hatching rate in low oxygen environments. When eggs are placed in a hypoxic environment, chicken embryos from these populations express much more hemoglobin than embryos from other chicken populations. This hemoglobin has
2968-650: The official city tree of Los Angeles , California , where it is referred to simply as the "coral tree". The state trees of Mérida and Trujillo in Venezuela are bucaré ceibo ( E. poeppigiana ) and purple coral tree ( bucaré anauco, E. fusca ), respectively. Yonabaru, Okinawa as well as the Okinawa Prefecture , Quanzhou , Fujian Province and Pathum Thani Province have the Indian coral tree ( E. variegata ) as floral emblems. Known as thong lang in Thailand ,
3024-448: The seeds of some can cause fatal poisoning. The chemical compounds found in plants in this genus include alkaloids such as scoulerine , erysodin , erysovin (namely in E. flabelliformis ), and the putative anxiolytic erythravine (isolated from Mulungu , E. mulungu ). Erysodienone is a precursor in the biosynthesis of many of these alkaloids. Root tubers of Erythrina species have been traditional food for aborigines of
3080-549: The traditional time to plant taro . In Mangaia , it marks the arrival of kingfishers and the nesting of black-winged petrels . Fiji crested iguanas can be found within Erythrina variegata (" rara ") trees. Erythrina About 130, see text. Erythrina / ˌ ɛr ɪ ˈ θ r aɪ n ə / is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae . It contains about 130 species , which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees , with
3136-401: Was sometimes used for the waʻa (hull) of outrigger canoes intended to be used near-shore, for recreation, or for training. The shiny orange-red seeds were strung into lei . The conspicuous, even dramatic coral trees are widely used as floral emblems . cockspur coral tree ( E. crista-galli ) is the national flower of Argentina and Uruguay . The coastal coral tree ( E. afra ) is
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