Gallus fossil map
Where fossils of Gallus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Phasianidae |
| Named by | Brisson 1766 |
| Fossil records | 94 occurrences at 56 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Tonga, Niue, Portugal, Micronesia, Federated States of, France, United Kingdom, Wallis and Futuna … |
| Rock formations | txn:39340, Cromer Forest Bed |
About Gallus
Junglefowl are the four extant species of bird from the genus Gallus in the order Galliformes. They occur in parts of South and Southeast Asia. One of the species in this genus, the red junglefowl, is of historical importance as the direct ancestor of the chicken, although the grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl and green junglefowl are likely to have also been involved. The Sri Lankan junglefowl is the national bird of Sri Lanka. They diverged from their common ancestor about 4–6 million years ago. Although originating in Asia, junglefowl bones have also been found in Chile, which date back to 1321–1407 CE, providing evidence of possible Polynesian migration through the Pacific Ocean.
Junglefowl are omnivorous, eating a variety of leaves, plant matter, invertebrates, and occasionally mice and frogs. They are large birds, with colourful plumage in males, but are often difficult to see in the dense vegetation they inhabit.
As with many birds in the pheasant family, the male takes no part in the incubation of the egg or rearing of the precocial young. These duties are performed by the drab and well-camouflaged female. Females and males do not form pair bonds.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Junglefowl (revision 1379741540), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q222951.
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