Phasianinae

 ( Bird Subfamilies ) 

The Phasianinae (Thomas Horsfield, 1821) are a subfamily of the pheasant family (Phasianidae) of landfowl, the order Galliformes. The subfamily includes true , , grouse, turkey and similar birds.

Although this subfamily was considered Monophyly and separated from the , , and Old World quails (Perdicinae) until the early 1990s,

molecular phylogenies have shown that this placement is paraphyletic. For example, some (genus Perdix) are more closely affiliated to , whereas Old World quails and from the genus Alectoris are closer to . There are two clades in the Phasianinae: the erectile clade and the non-erectile clade, referring to erectile tissue in the non-feathered parts of the face. Both clades are believed to have diverged during the early Oligocene, about 30 million years ago.

The Phasianinae are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments, such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in rearing the young. They typically eat seeds and some insects.

---

Genera in taxonomic order This list is ordered to show presumed relationships between species. Tribes and subfamily names are based on the 4th edition of the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Genera without a tribe are considered to belong to tribe incertae sedis.

---

"Erectile clade"

	incertae sedis	Snow partridge (snow partridge)
Blood pheasant (blood pheasant)
Monal (monals) Tetraophasis (monal-partridges) Tragopan (tragopans)
Pucrasia (koklass pheasant)
	Grouse	Bonasa (ruffed grouse) Spruce grouse (spruce grouse) Centrocercus (sage-grouse) Dendragapus (blue grouse) Falcipennis (Siberian grouse) Lagopus (ptarmigans) Lyrurus (black grouse) Meleagris (turkeys) Tetrao (capercaillies) Tetrastes (hazel grouse) Tympanuchus (prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse)
	incertae sedis	Rhizothera (long-billed partridges)
	incertae sedis	Perdix (true partridges)
	Phasianini	Cheer pheasant (cheer pheasant) Chrysolophus (ruffed pheasants) Crossoptilon (eared pheasants) Lophura (gallopheasants) Phasianus (true pheasants) Syrmaticus (long-tailed pheasants)

---

"Non-erectile clade"

	Pavonini	Congo peafowl (African peafowl) Great argus (great argus) Pavo (Asiatic peafowl) Crested argus (crested arguses)
	incertae sedis	Peacock-pheasant (peacock-pheasants)
	incertae sedis	Haematortyx (crimson-headed partridge)
	incertae sedis	Tropicoperdix
	incertae sedis	Galloperdix (Asian spurfowl)
	Gallini	Bambusicola (bamboo partridges) Campocolinus Francolinus Gallus (junglefowl, including the domestic chicken) Ortygornis Peliperdix (Latham's francolin) Scleroptila
	Coturnicini	Alectoris (rock partridges) Ammoperdix (see-see and sand partridges) Coturnix (typical Old World quails) Margaroperdix (Madagascar partridge) Ophrysia (Himalayan quail) Perdicula (bush-quails) Pternistis (partridge-francolins; African spurfowls) Synoicus Tetraogallus (snowcocks)

Post Comment