Ptilopachinae Bowie, Cohen and Crowe, 2013

Bowie, Rauri C. K., Cohen, Callan & Crowe, Timothy M., 2013, Ptilopachinae: a new subfamily of the Odontophoridae (Aves: Galliformes), Zootaxa 3670 (1), pp. 97-98 : 97

Subfamily: Ptilopachinae Bowie, Cohen and Crowe , subfam. nov.

Type genus: Ptilopachus Swainson, 1837

Description: Small African-endemic galliform birds ( Aves : Galliformes ) that have bare red skin around the eye, lack tarsal spurs, and are not sexually dimorphic. Both taxa regularly cock their tails, a character shared by only one other African galliform, Dendroperdix sephaena Smith. The calls of both taxa consist of a series of whistles increasing in volume and likely comprise duets. Field observations suggest that both taxa live in small family groups.

Diagnosis: The Ptilopachinae is circumscribed within Galliformes via analysis of both maternally inherited molecular markers (mitochondrial DNA) and biparentally inherited molecular markers (several nuclear genes; see Crowe et al. 2006, Cohen et al. 2012 for details). It can be defined as the clade originating with the most recent common ancestor of Ptilopachus petrosus and P. nahani . All members of the Odontophorinae of the New World, sister group to the Ptilopachinae , are reported to share a single unambiguously derived character, namely, the presence of serrations on the cutting edge of the lower mandible (the tomium; Dyke et al. 2003). Serrations are not present on the tomium of either P. petrosus or P. nahani ; bills of these taxa are instead typical of the broader Phasianoidea. Thus, within the Odontophoridae the lack of serrations on the tomium distinguishes the two members of the Ptilopachinae from all members of the Odontophorinae . Although other members of the Phasianoidea have a red facial pattern, the combination of morphological (red facial pattern) and behavioral characters (tail cocking) distinguish the two members of the Ptilopachinae from all other members of the Phasianoidea.