A turkey was either one off a couple types of highest wild birds on the genus Meleagris. Turkeys try classed throughout the gamebird order. Earlier, these were thought a distinct relatives, Meleagrididae, however, more recently they certainly were reclassified due to the fact a great subfamily (Meleagridinae) of the pheasants and their partners. Just as in of several galliform variety, the feminine is actually smaller compared to a man, and far less colorful. Along with their wingspans of just one.5-1.8 meters, the new turkeys are undoubtedly the largest wild birds in the great outdoors forest where they alive, as they are hardly mistaken for every other variety.
The present day tamed poultry was made regarding Insane Poultry. The latest Ocellated Turkey is most likely also domesticated from the Mayans. It’s been speculated this particular types is far more tractable than just its northern equivalent, and try the reason of present tamed stock, but there is no morphological research to help with this concept. Particularly, the new boobs tuft out of home-based turkeys are a clear indicator from origin throughout the Insane Chicken, given that Ocellated Chicken doesn’t have so it tuft.
Turkeys was extensively hunted, particularly the Nuts Chicken within the North america. In place of their residential counterparts, the brand new turkeys is cautious and you will agile flyers.
Naming
Whenever Europeans basic came across these types of kinds regarding Americas, it incorrectly identified them with this new African Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris), known as the fresh new chicken-dick from the importation to help you Central Europe because of Chicken, additionally the title of that country stuck just like the also the name of your American bird. The fresh distress is additionally reflected on the medical title: meleagris is Greek having guinea-fowl.
This new names on the domesticated Poultry in other dialects and additionally apparently reflect their unique root, seen away from a vintage Business opinion, and you can dilemma on where it actually originates from. The countless recommendations so you’re able to Asia noticed in well-known labels come back so you’re able to a mix of a couple of situations: earliest, the genuine belief that the newly-located Americas was in reality part of East China, and you may 2nd, the fresh new tendency to characteristic amazing generate to a few types of lay that during the time represented far-from, exotic lands. The latter is reflected with regards to such as for example ” Muscovy Duck” (that’s off South america, not Muscovy) and indeed was a major good reason why title “turkey-cock” is actually relocated to Meleagris species.
Another birds which are possibly called “turkeys” are not such as for instance closely associated: the new Australian brush-chicken is an effective megapode, and the bird also called given that “Australian turkey” is in fact the latest Australian Bustard, an effective gruiform.
Asexual breeding
Turkeys are notable for their capability, rare between large variety, to replicate asexually. In the lack of a male, people Turkeys are recognized to write rich egg. Anyone put is frequently sickly, and you can nearly always male. That it behavior can be affect the fresh new incubation out-of egg when you look at the Poultry agriculture.
Fossil turkeys
Of numerous turkeys had been revealed off fossils. The new Meleagridinae is recognized about Very early Miocene (c.23 mya) forward, for the extinct genera Rhegminornis (Very early Miocene regarding Bell, USA) and you may Proagriocharis (Kimball Later Miocene/Early Pliocene out-of Tangerine Creek, USA). The former is likely an excellent basal chicken, others an even more modern bird not as like known turkeys; both had been far smaller birds. A chicken fossil maybe not assignable so you can genus however, similar to Meleagris known about Late Miocene away from Westmoreland State, Virginia (Olson, 1985).
In today’s genus Meleagris, a number of variety was decribed, due to the fact chicken fossils was robust, frequently receive, and you can turkes let you know far adaptation one of people. A few of these going fossil types are actually considered junior synonyms. You to definitely, the new well-documented Ca Poultry Meleagris californica, turned into extinct has just enough to had been hunted from the very early individual settlers, in the event the genuine demise is more probably attributable to weather transform after the last freeze age. The modern types together with Ca Turkey appear to have diverged whenever 1 million years back (Olson, 1985).
- Meleagris sp. (Very early Pliocene from Bone Area, USA)
- Meleagris leopoldi (Late Pliocene away from Cita Canyon, USA) – previously Agriocharis
- Meleagris progenes (Rexroad Late Pliocene, Meade County, USA) – formerly Agriocharis
- Meleagris sp. (Late Pliocene out-of Macasphalt Shell Gap, USA)
- Meleagris anza (Very early Pleistocene away from North park Condition, USA)
- Meleagris californica (Late Pleistocene from SW U . s .) – earlier Parapavo/Pavo
- Meleagris crassipes (Late Pleistocene free el salvador chat room without registration regarding SW North america)
