Pavo is a genus of two species in the pheasant family. The two species, along with the Congo peafowl, are known as peafowl.
| Pavo Temporal range: Late Miocene to present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus) displaying its tail | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Pavonini |
| Genus: | Pavo Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Pavo cristatus (Indian peafowl) Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
Taxonomy
The genus Pavo was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.[1] The genus name is the Latin word for a peacock.[2] The type species is the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus).[3]
Species
The genus contains two species.[4]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian peafowl
| Pavo cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 | South Asia; introduced elsewhere | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC
|
| Green peafowl
| Pavo muticus Linnaeus, 1766 | Southeast Asia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | EN
|
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Fossil record
- Pavo bravardi (Bravard's peafowl) (Early – Late Pliocene) – Gallus moldovicus, sometimes misspelt moldavicus, may be a junior synonym[5]
- Gallus aesculapii, a Late Miocene – Early Pliocene "junglefowl" of Greece, may also have been a peafowl[5]
In the Pliocene on the Balkan Peninsula, Bravard's peafowl coexisted with ptarmigans (Lagopus sp.)[6] Peafowl were widespread on the Balkan Peninsula and in Southeastern Europe until the end of the Pliocene.[7]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pavo.