Sri Lankan junglefowl

Sri Lankan junglefowl
Male
Female both in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Genus:	Gallus
Species:	G. lafayettii
Binomial name
Gallus lafayettii Lesson, 1831
Range

The Sri Lankan junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii sometimes spelled Gallus lafayetii), also known as the Ceylon junglefowl or Lafayette's junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the red junglefowl (G. gallus), the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated. However, it is even more closely related to the grey junglefowl. Sri Lankan junglefowl and red junglefowl diverged about 2.8 million years ago, whereas time of divergence between the Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey junglefowl was 1.8 million years ago.^[2]

Evidence of introgressive hybridization from Sri Lanka junglefowl has also been established in domestic chicken.^[2] The specific name of the Sri Lankan junglefowl commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834).