Wild turkeys, scientifically known as Meleagris gallopavo, are large game birds native to North America. They are one of only two species of turkey, the other being the ocellated turkey which is native to Central and Northern Mexico. Wild turkeys are closely related to pheasants, chickens, quail and grouse. But what did modern wild turkeys evolve from?
The ancestry of wild turkeys
All modern turkeys, both wild and domesticated, descended from an ancient bird called the meleagris, which emerged in the Miocene era between 5-10 million years ago. The earliest turkeys evolved in open woodlands in North America. They later spread into Mexico and Central America where they diversified into six subspecies: Eastern, Rio Grande, Florida, Gould’s, Merriam’s and ocellated turkeys. The ocellated turkey became a distinct species, while the others remained subspecies of Meleagris gallopavo.
Ancient turkeys looked quite different from the birds we know today. They were generally smaller with longer legs, had no breast meat, and the males lacked the fleshy snood over their beak that is characteristic of modern turkeys. Over thousands of years turkeys evolved to become larger, unable to fly and more suited to forested environments.
Key evolutionary adaptations
There were several key evolutionary adaptations that turned ancient turkeys into the birds we know today:
- Loss of flight – Ancestral turkeys could fly. But as forests grew denser, the large size of turkeys made flight increasingly difficult. Turkeys adapted by becoming flightless.
- Increased body size – Turkeys evolved to become much larger over time. The average male wild turkey today weighs 11-24 lbs compared to an average weight of 8.5 lbs for the ancestral meleagris.
- Leg spurs and snood – Male turkeys developed sharp leg spurs and a fleshy snood over their beak to compete for mates.
- White-tipped feathers – The white tips on turkey feathers likely evolved as camouflage to resemble dappled sunlight in forests.
Relationship to pheasants and other gamebirds
As a member of the order Galliformes, the wild turkey is related to a number of gamebirds including pheasants, grouse, chickens, quail and ptarmigans. Below is a phylogenetic tree showing the evolutionary relationships between wild turkeys and some other gamebirds in the order Galliformes:
Common name | Scientific name |
---|---|
Wild turkey | Meleagris gallopavo |
Ring-necked pheasant | Phasianus colchicus |
Ruffed grouse | Bonasa umbellus |
Red junglefowl | Gallus gallus |
Common quail | Coturnix coturnix |
Willow ptarmigan | Lagopus lagopus |
As you can see from the phylogenetic tree, wild turkeys are most closely related to pheasants. Turkeys and pheasants shared a common ancestor around 40 million years ago. Their close relationship is evidenced by similar body types and plumage patterns. Turkeys are more distantly related to other gamebirds like grouse, junglefowl, quail and ptarmigan.
Domestic turkeys descended from wild ancestors
All domestic turkeys, the type raised on farms for meat and other products, descended from wild turkeys. There were at least five distinct domestication events where wild turkeys were selectively bred by Native Americans prior to European contact. Most domestic turkeys come from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey. They were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 16th century and bred to become the plump, big-breasted birds we know today.
Domestic turkeys have lost many traits of their wild ancestors. They grow much larger, up to 30 lbs for commercial breeds. They can no longer fly or survive in the wild. And they lack the wariness of wild turkeys, having been bred for docility on farms. But the basic body structure and plumage color patterns reveal their shared ancestry with wild turkeys of North America.
Evolutionary timeline
Here is an overview of the evolution of wild turkeys over the past 10 million years:
Date | Event |
---|---|
10 million years ago | Ancient meleagris turkey ancestors emerge in North America |
5 million years ago | Turkeys spread into Mexico and Central America, diversifying into 6 subspecies |
2 million years ago | Subspecies become adapted to various forested habitats across North America |
15,000 years ago | Wild turkeys restricted to North America as glaciers cover habitat further south |
9,000 years ago | Native Americans first domesticate wild turkeys in Mexico |
500 years ago | Spanish explorers bring domesticated turkeys back to Europe from Mexico |
This timeline shows how turkeys evolved in North America and Mexico over millions of years. They were later domesticated by Native Americans thousands of years ago. And finally they were introduced globally by the Spanish a few hundred years ago. Their wild ancestors still inhabit forests across North America today.
Conclusion
In summary, all living wild turkeys descended from an ancient common ancestor called the meleagris that emerged around 10 million years ago. These ancestral turkeys gradually evolved adaptations like increased body size, loss of flight and leg spurs to become the birds we recognize as wild turkeys today. They are closely related to pheasants but more distantly related to other gamebirds. Domestic turkeys were bred from wild ancestors by Native Americans starting around 9,000 years ago. They later spread around the world following European contact. So next Thanksgiving when you sit down to eat turkey, remember you are enjoying the product of millions of years of evolution!