Q. What had the first feathers but couldn't fly well?
A. The earliest bird-like creature, Archaeopteryx, was about the size of a crow and was a descendent of the dinosaurs. It was a fascinating mixture of reptile and bird - had wings covered with feathers, a long tail, plenty of teeth in its bony beak and fingers with sharp claws. It couldn't fly well but could climb
trees to lay its eggs in a nest
Q. Do hens have teeth?
A. No but the archaeopteryx did.
Q. Why do some hard boiled eggs have a discoloured yolk?
A. If hard boiled eggs are overcooked, a dark ring will form around the yolk. The iron in the yolk combines with the sulphur in the white forming the dark iron sulphide ring. To prevent this happening don't overcook and cool quickly in iced water.
Q. What is the ideal protein?
A. The protein found in eggs is the standard against which all other protein foods are measured. Egg white(albumen) is a complex mixture of over forty different types of protein.
|
Q. How long will eggs keep?
A. Fresh shell eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton well beyond the 'best before' date. Eggs will age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator. If not properly refrigerated an egg loses carbon dioxide and water which causes it to spread out more when broken into a pan. Refrigerate hard boiled eggs as soon as they are cooled and use within a week. Raw white will keep up to 4 days if refrigerated in a tightly covered container. Unbroken raw yolks, covered with water in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, should be used within 1 or 2 days.
Q. What is the name of the first real bird?
A. It hasn't been given a name yet. The first fossil of a modern bird, with the flight and perching abilities of today's birds, has just been discovered in China and is owned by the Beijing Natural History Museum. It is about the size of a sparrow and it came about 10 million years after the archaeopteryx. This bird retained many dinosaur-like features and scientists are very excited to have found this clear link between dinosaurs and the birds of today.
Q. Why are some eggs brown and some eggs white?
A. Shell colour is determined by the breed of hen and is not related to quality, nutrients, flavour, or cooking characteristics. Generally speaking, although there are some exceptions - eggs with white shells are laid by hens with white feathers. Eggs with brown shells are laid by hens with brown or black feathers.
|