Editing Galliformes (section)

=== List of major taxa ===
{{See also|List of Galliformes}}
For a long time, the pheasants, partridges, and relatives were indiscriminately lumped in the Phasianidae, variously including or excluding turkeys, grouse, New World quail, and guineafowl, and divided into two [[subfamily|subfamilies]] – the [[Phasianinae]] (pheasant-like forms) and the [[Perdicinae]] (partridge-like forms). This crude arrangement was long considered to be in serious need of revision, but even with modern [[DNA sequence]] analyses and [[cladistic]] methods, the [[phylogeny]] of the Phasianidae has resisted complete resolution.<ref name = kimball9901+crowe06ab>Kimball ''et al.'' (1999, 2001), Crowe ''et al.'' (2006a,b)</ref>
[[File:Palaeortyx.jpg|thumb|''[[Palaeortyx]]'' skeleton, {{Lang|fr|[[Muséum national d'histoire naturelle]]}}, Paris]]

A tentative list of the higher-level galliform [[taxa]], listed in evolutionary sequence, is:<ref name = kimball9901+crowe06ab /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List|url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/taxonomy/|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-US}}</ref>
* †''[[Archaeophasianus]]'' <small>Lambrecht 1933</small> (Oligocene? – Late Miocene)<!--ActaZoolCracov45:S263. Condor54:174. -->
* †''[[Argillipes]]'' <small>Harrison & Walker 1977</small>
* †''[[Austinornis]]'' <small>Clarke 2004</small> [''[[Pedioecetes]]'' <small>Baird 1858</small>] (Austin Chalk Late Cretaceous of Fort McKinney, USA)<!-- AmMusNovit62:1,286:1.  -->
* †''[[Chambiortyx]]'' <small>Mourer-Chauviré et al. 2013</small>
* †''[[Coturnipes]]'' <small>Harrison & Walker 1977</small>
* †''[[Cyrtonyx tedfordi]]'' (Barstow Late Miocene of Barstow, USA)<!--  Condor54:296; Condor60:252. -->
* †''[[Linquornis]]'' <small>Yeh 1980</small> (middle Miocene)
* †''[[Namaortyx]]'' <small>Mourer-Chauviré, Pickford & 2011</small>
* †''[[Palaeorallus alienus]]'' <small>Kuročkin 1968 nomen dubium</small>
* †''[[Sobniogallus]]'' <small>Tomek et al. 2014</small>
* †''[[Tristraguloolithus]]'' <small>Zelenitsky, Hills & Curri 1996</small> [ootaxa- cracid?]
* †''[[Procrax]]'' <small>Tordoff & Macdonald 1957</small> (middle Eocene? – Early Oligocene)<!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211. -->
* †''[[Paleophasianus]]'' <small>Wetmore 1940</small>
* †''[[Taoperdix]]'' <small>Milne-Edwards 1869</small> (Late Oligocene)<!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211. ActaZoolCracov45:S263. -->
* Family †[[Gastornithidae]]?<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=McInerney |first1=Phoebe L. |last2=Blokland |first2=Jacob C. |last3=Worthy |first3=Trevor H. |date=2024-06-02 |title=Skull morphology of the enigmatic Genyornis newtoni Stirling and Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology, and evolution in the context of Galloanserae |journal=Historical Biology |language=en |volume=36 |issue=6 |pages=1093–1165 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212 |issn=0891-2963|doi-access=free }}</ref> <small>Fürbringer, 1888</small>
** ''[[Gastornis]]'' <small>Hébert, 1855 (vide Prévost, 1855)</small> [Diatryma <small>Cope, 1876] (</small>Paleocene-Eocene) 
*Family †[[Sylviornithidae]]?<ref name=":2" /> <small>Mourer-Chauviré & Balouet, 2005</small>
**†''[[Sylviornis]]'' <small>Poplin, 1980</small> (Holocene)
**†''[[Megavitiornis]]'' <small>Worthy, 2000</small> (Holocene)

* Family †[[Paraortygidae]] <small>Mourer-Chauviré 1992</small><!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211; JOrnithol147:31 -->
** †''[[Pirortyx]]'' <small>Brodkorb 1964</small>
** †''[[Scopelortyx]]'' <small>Mourer-Chauviré, Pickford & Senut 2015</small>
** †''[[Paraortyx]]'' <small>Gaillard 1908 sensu Brodkorb 1964</small>
** †''[[Xorazmortyx]]'' <small>Zelenkov & Panteleyev 2019</small>
* Family †[[Quercymegapodiidae]] <small>Mourer-Chauviré 1992</small> <!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211 Palaeontology43:481 -->
** †''[[Taubacrex]]'' <small>Alvarenga 1988</small>
** †''[[Ameripodius]]'' <small>Alvarenga 1995</small>
** †''[[Quercymegapodius]]'' <small>Mourer-Chauviré 1992</small>
* Family [[Megapodiidae]] – mound-builders and scrubfowl, or megapodes
** †''[[Mwalau]]'' <small>Worthy et al. 2015</small> (Lini's megapode)
** †''[[Ngawupodius]]'' <small>& Ivison 1999</small>
** ''[[Brushturkey group]]''
*** ''[[Talegalla]]'' <small>Lesson 1828</small>
*** ''[[Leipoa]]'' <small>Gould 1840</small> [''[[Progura]]'' <small>de Vis 1889</small>; ''[[Chosornis]]'' <small>de Vis 1889</small>; ''[[Palaeopelargus]]'' <small>de Vis 1892</small>] (Malleefowl)
*** ''[[Alectura]]'' <small>Gray 1831</small> [''[[Catheturus]]'' <small>Swainson 1837</small>] (Australian Brushturkeys)
*** ''[[Aepypodius]]'' <small>Oustalet 1880</small>
** ''[[Scrubfowl group]]''
*** ''[[Macrocephalon]]'' <small>Müller 1846</small> [''[[Megacephalon]]'' <small>Gray 1846</small>; ''[[Megacephalon]]'' <small>Gray 1844 nomen nudum</small>; ''[[Galeocephala]]'' <small>Mathews 1926</small>] (Maleos)
*** ''[[Eulipoa]]'' <small>Ogilvie-Grant 1893</small> (Moluccan Megapodes)
*** ''[[Megapodius]]'' <small>Gaimard 1823 non (sic) Mathews 1913</small> [''[[Megathelia]]'' <small>Mathews 1914</small>; ''[[Amelous]]'' <small>Gloger 1841</small>]
* Family [[Cracidae]] – chachalacas, guans and curassows
** †''[[Archaealectrornis]]'' <small>Crowe & Short 1992</small> (Oligocene)<!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211. CanJEarthSci39:19 -->
** †''[[Boreortalis]]'' <small>Brodkorb 1954</small>
** †''[[Palaeonossax]]'' <small>Wetmore 1956</small> (Brule Late Oligocene of South Dakota, USA)<!-- *Condor58:234 -->
** [[Penelopinae]] <small>Bonaparte 1851</small> (Guans)
*** ''[[Chamaepetes]]'' <small>Wagler 1832</small> (black & sickle-winged guan)
*** ''[[Penelopina]]'' <small>Reichenbach 1861</small> (Highland Guans)
*** ''[[Aburria]]'' <small>Reichenbach 1853</small> [''[[Opetioptila]]'' <small>Sundevall 1873</small>; ''[[Pipile]]'' <small>Bonaparte 1856 non</small> ''[[Pipilo]]'' <small>Vieillot 1816</small>; ''[[Cumana]]'' <small>Coues 1900</small>]
*** ''[[Penelope (genus)|Penelope]]'' <small>Merrem 1786</small> [''[[Penelopsis]]'' <small>Bonaparte 1856</small>]
** [[Cracinae]] <small>Rafinesque 1815</small>
*** ''[[Ortalis]]'' <small>Merrem 1786</small> [''[[Ganix]]'' <small>Rafinesque 1815</small>] {[[Ortalidini]] <small>Donegan 2012</small>} (Chachalacas)
*** ''[[Oreophasis]]'' <small>Gray 1844</small> {[[Oreophasini]] <small>Bonaparte 1853</small>} (Horned Guans)
*** [[Cracini]] <small>Rafinesque 1815</small> (Curassows)
**** ''[[Nothocrax]]'' <small>Burmeister 1856</small> (Nocturnal Curassows)
**** ''[[Pauxi]]'' <small>Temminck 1813</small> [''[[Ourax]]'' <small>Cuvier 1817</small>; ''[[Lophocerus]]'' <small>Swainson 1837 non Hemprich & Ehrenberg 1833</small>; ''[[Urax]]'' <small>Reichenbach 1850</small>]
**** ''[[Mitu (bird)|Mitu]]'' <small>Lesson 1831</small> (razor-billed curassows)
**** ''[[Crax]]'' <small>Linnaeus 1758</small>
* Suborder [[Phasiani]]
** Family †[[Gallinuloididae]] – tentatively placed here<!-- ActaPalaeontolPol49:211; JOrnithol147:31; Zootaxa199:1 -->
*** †''[[Gallinuloides]]'' <small>Eastman 1900</small> [''[[Palaeobonasa]]'' <small>Shufeldt 1915</small>]
*** †''[[Paraortygoides]]'' <small>Mayr 2000</small>
** Family [[Numididae]] – guineafowl
*** ''[[Guttera]]'' <small>Wagler 1832</small>
*** ''[[Numida]]'' <small>Linnaeus 1764</small> [''[[Querelea]]'' <small>Reichenbach 1852</small>] (Helmeted Guineafowl)
*** ''[[Acryllium]]'' <small>Gray 1840</small> (Vulturine Guineafowl)
*** ''[[Agelastes]]'' <small>Bonaparte 1850</small>
** Family [[Odontophoridae]] – New World quail
*** †''[[Miortyx]]'' <small>Miller 1944</small>
*** †''[[Nanortyx]]'' <small>Weigel 1963</small>
*** †''[[Neortyx]]'' <small>Holman 1961</small>
*** [[Ptilopachinae]] <small>Bowie, Coehn & Crowe 2013</small>
**** ''[[Ptilopachus]]'' <small>Swainson 1837</small>
*** [[Odontophorinae]] <small>Gould 1844</small>
**** ''[[Rhynchortyx]]'' <small>Ogilvie-Grant 1893</small> (Tawny-faced Quail)
**** ''[[Oreortyx]]'' <small>Baird 1858</small> [''[[Orortyx]]'' <small>Coues 1882</small>] (Mountain Quail)
**** ''[[Dendrortyx]]'' <small>Gould 1844</small> (Wood Partridges)
**** ''[[Philortyx]]'' <small>Gould 1846 non Des Murs 1854</small> (Banded Quail)
**** ''[[Colinus]]'' <small>Goldfuss 1820</small> [''[[Eupsychortyx]]'' <small>Gould 1844</small>; ''[[Gnathodon (quail)|Gnathodon]]'' <small>{{ill|August Vollrath Streubel|fi|lt=Streubel}} 1842</small>; ''[[Ortygia]]'' <small>Boie 1826</small>; ''[[Philortyx]]'' <small>Des Murs 1854 non Gould 1846</small>] (Bobwhites)
**** ''[[Callipepla]]'' <small>Wagler 1832</small> [''[[Lophortyx]]'' <small>Bonaparte 1838</small>] ()
**** ''[[Cyrtonyx]]'' <small>Gould 1844</small> ()
**** ''[[Dactylortyx]]'' <small>Ogilvie-Grant 1893</small> (Singing Quail)
**** ''[[Odontophorus]]'' <small>Vieillot 1816</small> [''[[Dentophorus]]'' <small>Boie 1828</small>] (Wood Quail)
** Family [[Phasianidae]] – [[pheasant]]s, [[partridge]]s and relatives
*** †''[[Alectoris” pliocaena]]'' <small>Tugarinov 1940b</small> 
*** †''[[Bantamyx]]'' <small>Kuročkin 1982</small> 
*** †''[[Centuriavis|Centuriavis lioae]]'' <small>Ksepka ''et al.'', 2022</small>
*** †''[[Diangallus]]'' <small>Hou 1985</small>
*** †''[["Gallus" beremendensis]]'' <small>Jánossy 1976b</small>
*** †''[["Gallus" europaeus]]'' <small>Harrison 1978</small> 
*** †''[[Lophogallus]]'' <small>Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2010</small> 
*** †''[[Megalocoturnix]]'' <small>Sánchez Marco 2009</small> 
*** †''[[Miophasianus]]'' <small>Brodkorb 1952</small> [''[[Miophasianus]]'' <small>Lambrecht 1933 nomen nudum</small> ; ''[[Miogallus]]'' <small>Lambrecht 1933</small> ]
*** †''[[Palaeocryptonyx]]'' <small>Depéret 1892</small> [''[[Chauvireria]]'' <small>Boev 1997</small>; ''[[Pliogallus]]'' <small>Tugarinov 1940b non Gaillard 1939</small>; ''[[Lambrechtia]]'' <small>Janossy 1974</small> ]
*** †''[[Palaeortyx]]'' <small>Milne-Edwards 1869</small> [''[[Palaeoperdix]]'' <small>Milne-Edwards 1869</small>]<!-- ActaOrnithol41:129. AnnNHMusWien104A:237. CanJEarthSci39:19. Endins14:95. Geobios2:157,36:719. Palaeontology43:481;48:1331. PaleontogrItal89:3. ZoolJLinnSoc128:149. -->
*** †''[[Plioperdix]]'' <small>Kretzoi 1955</small> [''[[Pliogallus]]'' <small>Tugarinov 1940 nec Gaillard 1939</small>]
*** †''[[Rustaviornis]]'' <small>Burchak-Abramovich & Meladze 1972</small> 
*** †''[[Schaubortyx]]'' <small>Brodkorb 1964</small> 
*** †''[[Shandongornis]]'' <small>Yeh 1997</small> 
*** †''[[Shanxiornis]]'' <small>Wang et al. 2006</small> 
*** †''[[Tologuica]]'' <small>Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2009</small>
*** Subfamily [[Rollulinae]] <small>[[Charles Lucien Bonaparte|Bonaparte]], 1850</small>
*** Subfamily [[Phasianinae]] 
****Tribe [[Lerwini]] <small>[[Hans von Boetticher|von Boetticher]], 1939</small> – snow partridge
****Tribe [[Ithaginini]] <small>Wolters 197</small> – blood pheasant
****Tribe [[Lophophorini]] <small>Gray, 1841</small> – monals, monal-partridges, and tragopans
****Tribe [[Pucrasiini]] <small>Wolters 1976</small> – koklass pheasant
****Tribe [[Meleagridini]] – turkey
****Tribe [[Grouse|Tetraonini]] <small>Leach 1820</small> – grouse
****Tribe [[Rhizotherini]] – long-billed partridges
****Tribe [[Phasianini]] <small>Horsfield 1821</small> – true pheasants and partridges
****
***Subfamily [[Pavoninae]]
****Tribe [[Pavonini]] <small>Rafinesque 1815</small> – peafowl, arguses, and ''Tropicoperdix'' partridges
****Tribe [[Polyplectronini|Polyprectronini]] <small>Blyth 1852</small> – peacock-pheasants, Asian spurfowl, and crimson-headed partridge
****Tribe [[Gallini (bird)|Gallini]] <small>Brehm 1831</small> – junglefowl, bamboo partridges, and true francolins
****Tribe [[Coturnicini]] <small>Reichenbach, 1848</small> - Old World quail, snowcocks, and allies

The relationships of many pheasants and partridges were formerly very badly resolved and much confounded by [[adaptive radiation]] (in the former) and [[convergent evolution]] (in the latter).<ref>Dyke ''et al.'' (2003)</ref> Thus, the bulk of the Phasianidae was alternatively treated as a single subfamily Phasianinae. The grouse, turkeys, true pheasants, etc., would then become [[tribe (biology)|tribes]] of this subfamily, similar to how the Coturnicinae are commonly split into a quail and a spurfowl tribe.<ref>See e.g. the phylogenies in Kimball ''et al.'' (2006) and Crowe ''et al.'' (2006a,b)</ref> In 2021, Kimball ''et al''. found the family to comprise three distinct subfamilies, with two containing multiple genera; these results were followed by the [[International Ornithological Congress]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2021-05-01|title=A phylogenomic supermatrix of Galliformes (Landfowl) reveals biased branch lengths|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790321000245|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|language=en|volume=158|pages=107091|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107091|issn=1055-7903|last1=Kimball|first1=Rebecca T.|last2=Hosner|first2=Peter A.|last3=Braun|first3=Edward L.|pmid=33545275|bibcode=2021MolPE.15807091K |s2cid=231963063}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Galliformes|url=http://www.bird-phylogeny.de/superorders/galloanseres/galliformes/|access-date=2021-08-01|website=bird-phylogeny|language=de-DE}}</ref>

The partridge of [[Europe]] is not closely related to other partridge-like Galliformes, as already indicated by its [[sexually dimorphic]] coloration and possession of more than 14 [[rectrices]], traits it shares with the other advanced phasianids. However, among these its relationships are obscure; it is unclear whether it is closer to the turkeys or to certain short-tailed pheasants like ''[[Ithaginis]]'', ''[[Lophophorus]]'', ''[[Pucrasia]]'', and ''[[Tragopan]]''.<ref>Kimball ''et al.'' (1999, 2001), Smith ''et al.'' (2005), Crowe ''et al.'' (2006a,b)</ref> In 2021, Kimball ''et al''. found it to belong to the subfamily [[Phasianini]], alongside the true pheasants.<ref name=":1" />