Rollulinae | |
---|---|
Crested partridge (Rollulus rouloul) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Galliformes |
Family: | Phasianidae |
Subfamily: | Rollulinae Bonaparte, 1850 |
Genera | |
Synonyms | |
Arborophilinae |
Rollulinae is a bird subfamily containing the jungle and wood partridges. They are the most basal member of the family Phasianidae, having diverged during the late Eocene or early Oligocene, about 30-35 million years ago.[1][2] Many taxonomists formerly placed this subfamily within the Perdicinae, but more recent studies have affirmed its existence, and it is accepted by taxonomic authorities such as the International Ornithological Congress.[2][3][4][5]
Members of this family are mostly found in east and southeast Asia, along with a single basal genus containing two species endemic to two mountain ranges in Tanzania.[5]