Article: A peafowl from the Pliocene of Perpignan, France

A tarsometatarsus from the Pliocene of Serrat-d'en-Vacquer, Perpignan, attributed to Gallus bravardi Gervais, actually belongs to the recent genus Pavo, and hence is designated as Pavo bravardi (Gervais). Fossil Peafowls are also present in other Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene localities in France and Moldavia. The Perpignan form is very similar to the recent species of Pavo and differs from the African form Afropavo, suggesting that these two genera diverged from a common ancestor prior to the Pliocene.