Macrocephalon maleo (Müller 1846; 50–60cm long) The extant maleo is a relative of the turkey, Meleagris (above), with an expanded cranial decoration, a hollow casque. The maleo lays a large egg, 5x the size of a domestic chicken, that is inclubated in the ground through solar or volcanic heating. Hatchlings are able to fly within hours of hatching as in Megapodius.

Tetrao tetrix (Linneaus 1758, 53cm) The extant black grouse nests between gallus and passer in the LRT. Sexual dimorphism is present.

Meleagris gallopavo (Linneaus 1758) is the extant turkey. Here it nests at the base of the Gallus clade. Tthis is the earliest to develop a new bone, the spur, at mid medial metatarsus.

The species name means: "chicken-peacock"... which makes sense!

Porphyrio porphyrio (Brisson 1760) is the extant swamp hen, a tropical omnivore here nesting with the temperate turkey, Meleagris. It is traditionally considered a rail, a clade within Gruiformes (cranes). The common name turns out to be closer.

Numida meleagris (Linneaus 1764) is the extant helmeted guineafowl. The postfrontal has a descending process beyond the postorbital. The frontal develops a crest that varies in shape.

Mitu tuberosum aka Crax turberosa (Linneaus 1758, Spix 1825; 85 cm) is the extant razor-billed curassaw, a pheasant-like galliform from the Amazon. Two eggs are laid per year. Precocious young are feathered and mobile after hatching. Omnivorous. Sexes similar.

Gallus gallus (Linneaus 1758) The extant chicken is chiefly terrestrial bird capable of short flights. A sister to Opisthocomus and Gastornis, Gallus is derived from a sister to Macrocephalon among tested taxa.

Phasianus colchicus (Linneaus 1758) is the extant ring neck or common pheasant, here nesting with the peafowl, Pavo. The spur arises from metatarsal 1 as a new structure. Metatarsal 5 is long.

Pavo cristatus (Linneaus 1758) The extant Indian peacock (peafowl) nests with Gallus in the LRT. Only the male carries the extraordinary plumage. The maxilla is missing in lateral view. Note the upper temporal fenestra recreated secondarily.

Brisson MJ 1760. Ornithologia 1

Linnaeus C 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.

Linneaus C 1764. Museum S:ae R:ae M:tis ludovicae ulricae reginae svecorum, gothorum, vandalorumque &c. &c. &c. In quo animalia rariora, exotica, imprimis insecta & Conchilia describuntur & determinantur prodomi instar editum. Laur. Salvii, Holmiae.

Müller S 1846. Archiv für Naturgesch. 1846(1):116.

von Spix JBR 1825.Avium species novae, quas in itinere per Brasiliam annis MDCCXVII – MDCCCXX [...] collegit et descripsit. Franc. Seraph. Hübschmann, Monachii [Munich], 1, [VII], 90 pp., 91 pls.

Zheng X, O’Connor JK, Wang X, Wang Y and Zhou Z 2018. Reinterpretation of a previously described Jehol bird clarifies early trophic evolution in the Ornithuromorpha. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20172494

Zheng X-T, Martin LD, Zhou Z-H, Burnham DA, Zhang F-C and Miao D 2011. Fossil evidence of avian crops from the Early Cretaceous of China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USA 108: 15 904–907

wiki/Tetrao
wiki/Turkey_(bird)
wiki/swamphen - Porphyrio
wiki/Gallus
wiki/Peafowl - Pavo
wiki/Macrocephalon
wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl
wiki/Common pheasant, Phasianus