Junglefowl

Taxobox
name = Junglefowl

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = Green Junglefowl, "Gallus varius" Cock on the left, hen on the right
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Galliformes
familia = Phasianidae
genus = "Gallus"
genus_authority = Brisson, 1766
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"Gallus gallus"
*"Gallus lafayetii"
*"Gallus sonneratii"
*"Gallus varius"

Junglefowl are a group of four living species of bird in the pheasant family which occur in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

These are large birds, with colourful male plumage, but are nevertheless difficult to see in the dense vegetation they inhabit.

As with many birds in the pheasant family, the colourful male plays no part in the incubation of the egg or rearing of the precocial young. These duties are performed by the drab and well-camouflaged female.

The junglefowl are seed-eaters, but insects are also taken, particularly by the young birds.

One of the species in this genus, the Red Junglefowl, is of historical importance as the likely ancestor of the domesticated chicken, although it has been suggested the Grey Junglefowl was also involved. [Eriksson J, Larson G, Gunnarsson U, Bed'hom B, Tixier-Boichard M, et al. (2008) "Identification of the Yellow Skin Gene Reveals a Hybrid Origin of the Domestic Chicken." PLoS Genet January 23, 2008 [http://genetics.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1000010.eor&ct=1] .] .

Species

* Red Junglefowl, "Gallus gallus"
* Sri Lanka Junglefowl, "Gallus lafayetii"
* Grey Junglefowl, "Gallus sonneratii"
* Green Junglefowl, "Gallus varius"

Prehistorically, the genus "Gallus" was found all over Eurasia; in fact it appears to have evolved in southeastern Europe. Several fossil species have been described, but their distinctness is not firmly established in all cases:
* "Gallus aesculapii" (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Greece) - possibly belongs into "Pavo"
* "Gallus moldovicus" (Late Pliocene of Moldavia) - sometimes misspelt "moldavicus", may be synonym of "Pavo bravardi"
* "Gallus beremendensis" (Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene of E Europe)
* "Gallus karabachensis" (Early Pleistocene of Nagorno-Karabakh)
* "Gallus tamanensis" (Early Pleistocene? of Taman Peninsula)
* "Gallus kudarensis" (Early/Middle Pleistocene of Kudaro, South Ossetia)
* "Gallus europaeus" (Middle Pleistocene of Italy)
* "Gallus" sp. (Middle/Late Pleistocene of Trinka Cave, Moldavia)
* "Gallus imereticus" (Late Pleistocene of Gvardjilas-Klde, Imeretia)
* "Gallus meschtscheriensis" (Late Pleistocene of Soungir, Russia)
* "Gallus georgicus" (Late Pleistocene - Early Holocene of Georgia)
* "Gallus" sp. (Late Pleistocene of Krivtcha Cave, Ukraine)
* "Gallus" sp. (Early Holocene of Dnieper region)

References

* Madge and McGowan, "Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse" ISBN 0-7136-3966-0