Rt. Kimball et al., RESOLUTION OF THE PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF THE CONGO PEAFOWL, AFROPAVO-CONGENSIS - A BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND EVOLUTIONARY ENIGMA, Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences, 264(1387), 1997, pp. 1517-1523
Afropavo congensis, the Congo peafowl, has long fascinated ornithologi
sts because of its uncertain phylogenetic position and unusual geograp
hic distribution. While some researchers have placed Afropavo as a sis
ter taxon to the true peafowl, Pave species, others have suggested rel
ationships with the guineafowl or an Old World partridge, Francolinus.
These divergent opinions are due, at least in part, to (i) the unique
morphological characteristics, lack of elaborate ornamentation, and m
onogamous mating system in Afropavo which differentiates it from Pavo;
and (ii) the restricted distribution of Afropavo in Zaire, which is f
ar removed from the Asian distribution of all other pheasant species.
We obtained complete cytochrome b and partial D-loop sequences of Afro
pavo and compared them to Pave, guineafowl, Francolinus and other gail
iform taxa. Our results strongly support a close relationship between
Afropavo and Pave, and we were able to reject alternative phylogenetic
hypotheses. Molecular clock estimates or? the divergence time place t
he separation of Afropavo and Pave in the late Miocene. We also discus
s other relatives of Afropavo and Pave and use this information to pro
pose hypotheses regarding the evolution of ornamentation and sexual di
morphism within this group of pheasants.