Origin of the chicken

Four species of jungle fowl are known to modern ornithology. One of these, the red jungle fowl ( Gallus gallus), has without doubt been a major contributor to domestic fowl. It is less certain whether the other 3 species are ancestral to chickens.

Wild chickens of the Gallus gallus are still found in the jungles of southeastern Asia. Many investigators believe that at least 4 species of the jungle fowl may have contributed to the development of domestic fowl. These 4 recognized species are:

1.    Gallus gallus (Red jungle fowl)

2.    Gallus sonnerati (Grey or sonnerat’s jungle fowl)

3.    Gallus lafayettei (Ceylon jungle fowl)

4.    Gallus varius (Green jungle fowl)

They are no subspecies of Grey, Ceylon, or Green jungle fowl. Geographic variation is very marked in Red jungle fowl, particularly among males and these have been recognized by designating 5 subspecies. These 5 subspecies differ in color of ear lobe, which range from white to red, in shape and length of neck hackle feathers of males, and in shade of red in male plumage, which varies from golden yellow to mahogany.