Gallus
Sign in to saveJunglefowl are the four extant species of bird from the genus Gallus in the order Galliformes. They occur in parts of South and Southeast Asia. One of the species in this genus, the red junglefowl, is of historical importance as the direct ancestor of the domestic chicken, although the grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl and green junglefowl are likely to have also been involved. The Sri Lankan junglefowl is the national bird of Sri Lanka. They diverged from their common ancestor about 4–6 million years ago. Although originating in Asia, junglefowl bones have also been found in Chile, which
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Gallus is a genus of four wild bird species called junglefowl found in South and Southeast Asia, with the red junglefowl being the direct ancestor of domesticated chickens. These birds are scientifically significant because they diverged from a common ancestor millions of years ago and played a key role in human agriculture, with one species also serving as Sri Lanka's national bird.
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Article
5 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Extant species
- Fossil record
- References
- External links
Junglefowl are the four extant species of bird from the genus Gallus in the order Galliformes. They occur in parts of South and Southeast Asia. One of the species in this genus, the red junglefowl, is of historical importance as the direct ancestor of the domestic chicken, although the grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl and green junglefowl are likely to have also been involved. The Sri Lankan junglefowl is the national bird of Sri Lanka. They diverged from their common ancestor about 4–6 million years ago. Although originating in Asia, junglefowl bones have also been found in Chile, which date back to 1321–1407 CE, providing evidence of possible Polynesian migration through the Pacific Ocean.
Junglefowl are omnivorous, eating a variety of leaves, plant matter, invertebrates, and occasionally mice and frogs. They are large birds, with colourful plumage in males, but are often difficult to see in the dense vegetation they inhabit.