THE GENETIC LINK BETWEEN THE CHINESE BAMBOO PARTRIDGE (BAMBUSICOLA-THORACICA) AND THE CHICKEN AND JUNGLEFOWLS OF THE GENUS GALLUS

Further comparison of mitochondrial control-region DNA base sequences of 16 avian species belonging to the subfamily Phasianinae revealed th e following: (i) Generalized perdicine birds (quails and partridges) a re of ancient lineages. Even the closest pair, the common quail (Cotur nix coturnix japonica) and the Chinese bamboo partridge (Bambusicola t horacica), maintained only 85.71% identity. (ii) The 12 species of pha sianine birds previously and presently studied belonged to three disti nct branches. The first branch was made exclusively of members of the genus Gallus, while the second branch was made of pheasants of the gen era Phasianus, Chrysolophus, and Syrmaticus. Gallopheasants of the gen us Lophura were distant cousins to these pheasants. The great argus (A rgusianus argus) and peafowls of the genus Pave constituted the third branch. The position of peacock-pheasants of the genus Polyplectron in the third branch was similar to that of the genus Lophura in the seco nd branch. Members of the fourth phasianine branch, such as tragopans and monals, were not included in the present study. (iii) The one perd icine species, Bambusicola thoracica, was more closely related to phas ianine genera Gallus and Pavo than to members of other perdicine gener a. The above might indicate that Bambusicola belong to one-stem perdic ine lineage that later splits into two sublineages that yielded phasia nine birds, one evolving to Gallus, and the other differentiating towa rd Pavo and its allies.