Osteology of Living and Fossil New World Quails (Aves, Galliformes)

Abstract

The family Odontophoridae is divided into two distinct groups on the basis of pelvic structure. The Dendrortyx group contains Miortyx of the Miocene, Neortyx peninsularis new genus and species from the Pleistocene, and the living genera Dendrortyx, Philortyx, Oreortyx, Callipepla, Colinus, and Lophortyx. Dendrortyx is at once the most primitive and aberrant living genus of American quails and is most closely related to Philortyx. Oreortyx is a near relative of the Callipepla-Colinus-Lophortyx complex of genera. The members of this complex are so similar that they might best be considered as subgenera.

The Odontophorus group contains the living genera Odontophorus, Dactylortyx, Cyrtonyx, and Rhynchortyx. Odontophorus appears to be the most primitive genus in this group. Dactylortyx and Cyrtonyx are similar. Rhynchortyx is the most aberrant genus of the group.

The Miocene species Cyrtonyx tedfordi probably should be transferred from the Odontophoridae to the Cracidae.

The study of more than 700 fossils of the genus Colinus shows a progressive trend toward reduction in size and gradual change in qualitative characters. The transition from C. hibbardi to C. suilium took place during the early Pleistocene, and the change from C. suilium to C. virginianus occurred in Wicomico time