Mountain Peacock Pheasant
Encyclopedia
The Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Polyplectron inopinatum also known as Rothschild's Peacock-Pheasant or Mirror Pheasant is a medium-sized, up to 65 cm long, blackish brown pheasant
with small ocelli and long graduated tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The male has metallic blue ocelli on upperparts, green ocelli on tail of twenty feathers and two spurs on legs. Female has black ocelli on upperparts, unspurred legs and tail of eighteen feathers. The female is smaller and duller than male.
A shy and elusive bird, the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant is distributed and endemic
to mountain forests of central Malay Peninsula
. The diet consists mainly of berries, beetles and ants.
mtDNA cytochrome b
and D-loop
as well as the nuclear
ovomucoid intron
G data confirms that this species belongs to a clade
together with the Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant, but also the mainland species Germain's Peacock-Pheasant and Grey Peacock-Pheasant
(Kimball et al. 2001).
The molecular data suggests - though not with high confidence - that this species diverged from mainland stock earlier than the Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant. This is quite spurious, since its biogeography
and derived plumage, and the fact that it is a peninsular mountain endemic indicate it is derived from a fairly small founder population; this would confound molecular analyses. What seems clear is that the present species evolved
from mainland Southeast Asian stock, probably during the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene
(3.6-1 mya). The unique pattern of wings and tail thus is, contrary to long-held opinion, an autapomorphy
, and the southern species of this clade - formerly separated in the genus Chalcurus - are probably not each other's closest relatives.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and limited range, the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant is evaluated as Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix III of CITES in Malaysia.
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
with small ocelli and long graduated tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The male has metallic blue ocelli on upperparts, green ocelli on tail of twenty feathers and two spurs on legs. Female has black ocelli on upperparts, unspurred legs and tail of eighteen feathers. The female is smaller and duller than male.
A shy and elusive bird, the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant is distributed and endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to mountain forests of central Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. The diet consists mainly of berries, beetles and ants.
mtDNA cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
and D-loop
D-loop
In molecular biology, a displacement loop or D-loop is a DNA structure where the two strands of a double-stranded DNA molecule are separated for a stretch and held apart by a third strand of DNA. The third strand has a base sequence which is complementary to one of the main strands and pairs with...
as well as the nuclear
Nuclear DNA
Nuclear DNA, nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid , is DNA contained within a nucleus of eukaryotic organisms. In mammals and vertebrates, nuclear DNA encodes more of the genome than the mitochondrial DNA and is composed of information inherited from two parents, one male, and one female, rather than...
ovomucoid intron
Intron
An intron is any nucleotide sequence within a gene that is removed by RNA splicing to generate the final mature RNA product of a gene. The term intron refers to both the DNA sequence within a gene, and the corresponding sequence in RNA transcripts. Sequences that are joined together in the final...
G data confirms that this species belongs to a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
together with the Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant, but also the mainland species Germain's Peacock-Pheasant and Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Grey Peacock-pheasant
The Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Polyplectron bicalcaratum also known as Burmese Peacock is a large Southeast Asian member of the order Galliformes. It is rather closely related to the peafowl , and like these – and like most other Polyplectron – has brilliant eyespots on its plumage...
(Kimball et al. 2001).
The molecular data suggests - though not with high confidence - that this species diverged from mainland stock earlier than the Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant. This is quite spurious, since its biogeography
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
and derived plumage, and the fact that it is a peninsular mountain endemic indicate it is derived from a fairly small founder population; this would confound molecular analyses. What seems clear is that the present species evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
from mainland Southeast Asian stock, probably during the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene
Early Pleistocene
Calabrian is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale. ~1.8 Ma.—781,000 years ago ± 5,000 years, a period of ~.The end of the stage is defined by the last magnetic pole reversal and plunge in to an ice age and global drying possibly colder and drier than the late Miocene ...
(3.6-1 mya). The unique pattern of wings and tail thus is, contrary to long-held opinion, an autapomorphy
Autapomorphy
In cladistics, an autapomorphy is a distinctive anatomical feature, known as a derived trait, that is unique to a given terminal group. That is, it is found only in one member of a clade, but not found in any others or outgroup taxa, not even those most closely related to the group...
, and the southern species of this clade - formerly separated in the genus Chalcurus - are probably not each other's closest relatives.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and limited range, the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant is evaluated as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix III of CITES in Malaysia.