Now You Know: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

Do you have a question about history? Send us your question at history@time . com and you might find your answer in a future edition of Now You Know.

First of all, yes, a reader really did ask us this one.

At first we laughed a bit—who wouldn't? But it turns out that this question is a classic for a reason. People have been asking it for thousands of years, and it contains more than a little history.