Chachalaca

Chachalaca
Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Cracidae Genus: Ortalis Merrem, 1786
Species
12-15 (extant), see text.

Chachalacas are one of the groups of cracid birds. They all belong into the genus Ortalis. They were formerly united with the similar-looking guans into a subfamily, but are probably closer to the curassows (though not much: Pereira et al. 2002).

Species are:

• Plain Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula
  • Utila Island Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula deschauenseei (not seen for many years until rediscovery in 2005^[1])
• Grey-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps
• Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Ortalis garrula
• Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda
• Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis erythroptera
• Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis wagleri
• West Mexican Chachalaca, Ortalis poliocephala
• Chaco Chachalaca, Ortalis canicollis
• White-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis leucogastra
• Speckled Chachalaca, Ortalis guttata
  • Colombian Chachalaca, Ortalis (guttata) columbiana
  • East Brazilian Chachalaca, Ortalis (guttata) araucuan
  • Scaled Chachalaca, Ortalis (guttata) squamata
• Little Chachalaca, Ortalis motmot
• Buff-browed Chachalaca, Ortalis superciliaris

The cracids have a very poor fossil record, essentially being limited to a few chachalacas. The prehistoric species of the present genus, however, indicate that chachalacas most likely evolved in North or northern Central America:

• Ortalis tantala (Early Miocene of Nebraska, USA)
• Ortalis pollicaris (Flint Hill Middle Miocene of South Dakota, USA)
• Ortalis affinis (Ogallala Early Pliocene of Trego County, USA)
• Ortalis phengites (Snake Creek Early Pliocene of Sioux County, USA)

The Early Miocene fossil Boreortalis from Florida is also a chachalaca; it may actually be referrable to the extant genus.

mt and nDNA sequence data tentatively suggests that the chachalacas emerged as a distinct lineage during the Oligocene, somewhere around 40-20 mya, possibly being the first lineage of modern cracids to evolve; this does agree with the known fossil record - including indeterminate, cracid-like birds - which very cautiously favors a north-to-south expansion of the family (Pereira et al. 2002).

References

• Pereira, Sérgio Luiz; Baker, Allan J.& Wajntal, Anita (2002): Combined nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences resolve generic relationships within the Cracidae (Galliformes, Aves). Systematic Biology 51(6): 946-958. doi:10.1080/10635150290102519 PDF fulltext

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