jungle fowl

Or jun·gle·fowl

[juhng-guhl foul]

noun

1. any of several gallinaceous birds of the genus Gallus, found in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia: G. gallus red jungle fowl is believed to be the primary ancestor of the domestic chicken.

jungle fowl

noun

1. any small gallinaceous bird of the genus Gallus, of S and SE Asia, the males of which have an arched tail and a combed and wattled head: family Phasianidae (pheasants). G. gallus ( red jungle fowl ) is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic fowl

2. any of several megapodes, esp Megapodius freycinet

Word History and Origins

Origin of jungle fowl¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Dridi and other researchers wanted to see how much genetic differences there were between jungle fowl and modern breeds.

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Charles Darwin proposed that chickens descended from the red jungle fowl—a colorful tropical bird in the pheasant family–because the two look so much alike.

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They also found that the modern chicken’s chief ancestor is a subspecies of red jungle fowl named Gallus gallus spadiceus.

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But many wondered how red jungle fowl—known to be chickens' wild ancestors—could suddenly appear more than 1,000 miles from their native range in Southeast Asia.

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But the animals that they descend from, known as jungle fowl or Gallus, can be dated back 21 million years.

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