Professor John Ostrom
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale University - New Haven - Connecticut - USA

8-12-1983

Dear Professor Ostrom,

You may recall some 2 years ago I wrote you with regard to my private research on the Origin Evolution History and Distribution of the Domestic Chicken. You kindly supplied me with your paper Archaeopteryx since then I have collected some information on the subject and am presently endeavouring to obtain a paper written by Jànossy (1977) of discoveries on chicken bone in the Carpathian basin. I have also learned that chicken bone has been unearthed in NE Thailand, Northern China and on Watom Island New Britain.

You will remember I mentioned the small claws on the wings I discovered on my Pekin (Cochin Bantam) back in 1978. I never pursued this matter but a few of my correspondents have shown interest in this fact so I am going to check them through shortly and seen what I can come up with. It may only occur occasionally. I will advise of any development.

Recently noted in the press and television the information on the discovery of the fossil remains of a giant bird named the Teratorn in Argentina. No doubt you are aware of this fact. Apparently the fossils are in the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. I am still endeavouring to ascertain whether chickens existed in pre-Columbian Americas. I would like to make contact with someone in South America who may be able to give me a lead in this direction. The question of pre-Columbian chickens in the Americas has never been resolved with positive evidence.

My main reason for writing is to include a press cutting of a recent discovery in Australia which I felt may be of interest to you or some of your co-workers at Yale. Still enjoying the research, hope to put together some notes on the subject one of these days.

Sincerely yours,